A/N: I was inspired to write this because I recently saw the play Contact, and I kept realizing how well the stories tie together. So basically I took the MR characters and put them in the story of Contact. I had to change the characters and stories a little bit to make everything fit (for instance, I DO know that Christian is not suicidal). Also, even if you haven't seen Contact you should still be able to understand this and I like reviews so please write them! (I am suffering from a severe lack of sleep)
Disclaimer: These characters and stories and EVERYTHING belong either to the creators of Contact or of Moulin Rouge, so don't get mad at me. Does anyone actually care about these disclaimers anyway? Don't think so…Also, I hope to put in a song medley at the end that will be similar to Elephant Love Medley and I will cite those songs when I write it…
Christian Wiley stumbled up to the stage laughing, and looking a bit drunk. He took the statuette of a golden figure and shook the presenter's hand, with a very broad smile on his face. Yet something in those dark eyes said that behind this mask of happiness there was a life of despair.
"Thanks so much, you don't know how glad I am for this…this award for Best Novel Unfortunately Most Likely To Go Nowhere. This gold statue is great…well it's not really gold is it, just sort of…painted. Oh well. I want to thank everyone I've ever known, don't worry folks, I won't list 'em. But I do want to call my shrink right now…" he dialed something on his cell phone. "Hey Doc Kaufman, whenever you get this, I'm gonna stop coming, k? I'm sane now!"
This received laughter and applause, and Christian stumbled back off the stage, having said all of this in a very happy-go-lucky manner, as if nothing mattered.
Back in his apartment however, everything changed. He entered to find it the same as always, same dark lighting, same white, sleek modern-looking furniture, same window looking out on a world happier than he was. The window led to a balcony, where Christian hardly ever went, because there was a huge shining electric red sign that said "Love" on the wall next to the balcony, and it just depressed him more.
He came to his desk, which was a mess at past attempts at stories he had written. Taking up a very large portion of it was his phone, with the huge red light blinking showing he had messages - a constant reminder of things left unfinished in his life. He warily pushed the "check messages" button.
"Mr. Wiley, it's me again, the woman from downstairs. How many times do I have to call you about the noise, Mr. Wiley? I need sleep at 3 AM! I don't know what you're doing up there, but I will personally look in the phonebook and find you a rug company! Just please stop the noise…"
Christian had moved to a little sofa that had a secret compartment where he kept what he called his "medicine".
A man with a very heavy lisp and a strange accent, yet incredibly monotone voice came on next: "Mr. Wiley, it's me, Doctor Kaufman. Mr. Wiley, you can't just give up psychiatric care over the phone. You're not done with your treatment yet. You are still badly depressed, and I can help you see the light. Please, please call me back Mr. Wiley, for your sake."
By this time Christian had taken several of the pills he had out on the sofa, and had drunk the entire bottle of a mysterious green liquid. He was attempting to remove the rope off the curtains on his window.
"Hey Christian, what's up man?" It was Christian's crazy friends, Audrey, Satie, and some exchange student from Argentina.
"We're celebrating your win and you're not even here with us! Meet us at the little place on 55th and 1st Street. It's a pool hall in the day, and then at night they push back the tables and it's a dance-nightclub! How cool is that? Get over here now!"
Christian was standing on the sofa looking down at his little statuette. He knew that even though the award actually was given out of respect, the title "Most Likely To Go Nowhere" was very fitting. He looked in despair at what his life had become.
"You…you're the only thing that means anything, and you're not even real, are you?" he said to the statuette.
Christian then tried to throw the rope over the lamp up above. This proved harder than it looked. Finally after the fifth try he got it up and over. While placing the loop he had made around his neck, he said goodbye to the world, knowing no one would care. He then closed his eyes and jumped, only to feel himself come crashing to the floor. It hadn't been tied down at the other end.
Christian cried softly with his head in his hands. His one last attempt to put an end to his misery had failed. In a state of confusion and grief, he decided to head over to the nightclub his friends had mentioned, even though he thought the trip would be pointless.
Christian walked out onto the dark alleyway, where all around him tall buildings with bright lights towered up to the sky. The rain was pouring down, and his mood was not good. He walked towards the corner of 1st Street, ignoring the huge blaring "Don't Walk" sign, because strangely the streets were empty this night.
When he had almost arrived at his destination, he got the odd sensation he was being followed. Not by people exactly, but by his thoughts, his hopes of what he could have been. He whirled around several times to check that no one was there. His mind was haunting him…he had to get away from this.
He entered the small room to find the lights dimmed and dance music blaring. Several young couples were doing modern dance steps out on the floor, and the pool tables were against the wall. Christian, feeling awkward since he had no one to dance with, went to the bar. His friends had apparently already left.
The bartender came when he saw Christian sitting on a stool. Christian's first impression was that he looked a lot like Doctor Kaufman. The doc was a very distinctive man, walking with a cane because he was a dwarf, with black-rimmed glasses that matched his short black hair. The bartender fit this description perfectly, but did not try to give Christian an annoying pep talk as his psychiatrist always did.
"Can I get you something?" he asked. Christian jumped, because the man even had the same funny lisp.
"Umm…yeah…just, just a glass of water please." Christian looked around nervously, embarrassed that he was the only one who seemed to not have anything to do. He never had been a good dancer and was not daring enough to try it now.
The bartender poured the drink. "New here?" He asked.
Christian's thoughts were elsewhere as he stared at the couples dancing. They were all dressed nicely and looked very serious as if all of this was very routine to them. "This" was something Christian felt he was lacking.
"Oh, sorry. Yes. I heard it's a pool hall by day, and then at night they - "
"Push back the tables," the bartender joined him.
There was question Christian was burning to ask. "Who are they? Why do they come here?"
The bartender shrugged. "You mean the dancers? They come here because they want to. They're just people who like to dance."
"Do any of them have names?" Christian asked, amazed by all of this that was so new to him.
"Not really. There are nicknames, but no one knows anyone else's real names. Around here we're all just another pretty face. But you see that group over there?" He pointed to a group of men all dressed nicely with black coats and gelled hair, looking like they owned the world. Christian felt that he despised them before he even knew them.
The bartender continued. "They are collectively called The Dukes, because they can get almost any girl they want to dance with them. But no one is better than anyone else here, they all just dance."
Christian drank more water, out of nervousness. He watched the couples on the floor for a long time, who seemed to move with such grace and agility. He was incredibly jealous because he knew he was incapable of even attempting to dance, and would just embarrass himself if he tried. But he wanted to dance, to dance away his cares like everyone else was doing. However, he had no one to dance with.
Just as Christian was thinking this, the room went silent and everyone backed away from the door. He stood up from his stool in apprehension.
The bartender smiled and cut the music as someone who almost seemed to be the star of the place made her glorious entrance.
The men all looked greedily towards her, while the women watched her with envy. Christian just stared in amazement.
The woman that had entered was wearing a short, shining yellow dress. She had her dark red hair pulled tightly into a bun, and was taller than almost anyone else there. She made a few graceful dance steps all by herself in the center of the room. She awaited her line of men, who came to her every night asking for a dance.
Christian was frozen to his seat. This was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he knew from that moment that it was HER he had to dance with.
"Who is she?" he whispered to the bartender.
"Someone else who likes to dance…well, she likes to dance a little more than the rest of us. Everyone here calls her the Sparkling Diamond." The woman was moving towards Christian.
She sat down next to him at the bar, and Christian didn't dare to look at her. He was afraid because he had never done anything like this before.
She stayed for awhile by Christian, but as he seemed unwilling to dance with her, she wandered off into the dance floor to dance with some of the men that had been eyeing her ever since she came in.
Christian turned to the bartender and slammed his hand on the bar. "I can't dance!"
The bartender looked at Christian like he was crazy. "Everyone can dance when they come in here! Like some of us always say, 'Outside it may be raining, but in here it's entertaining!' Listen, you may think I'm just a crazy bartender who pours drinks and watches other people dance, but I know about art and love. She likes you man, maybe even could love you if you give her a chance. Look, I'll get you a song, you get out there and make it happen, OK?"
The bartender apparently doubled as a DJ, and the music suddenly changed from modern jazz to the lively "Simply Irresistible."
Christian had walked to the other side of the room to watch the woman in the yellow dress dance. She moved so gracefully, and made it look very easy. Christian looked jealously at whom she was dancing with - it was one of The Dukes. Some of the other Dukes who had already danced with her were pointing and laughing quietly at Christian. Christian suddenly hated them. They could get any girl they wanted, just because they could dance…*And are probably filthy rich* thought Christian.
He tried to get to the Sparkling Diamond girl, but every time he almost made his way to her, he was pushed away by other dancers. People ran into him, and whether it was intentional or not, he could not reach that beautiful yellow dress.
He just went back to the bar, where the bartender poured him some of that same green liquid he had had in his apartment just a few hours ago. Christian still hadn't figured out what that stuff was, but it was strong.
The woman came back to him, and sat down once again beside him. Christian knew he had to take this chance. As the song was changed to "Somewhere Beyond the Sea" (A/N: to all you fellow Ewan fans, they really did dance to this in the play!), Christian timidly stood up.
The woman watched him, smiling expectantly. Christian tried to move his feet, but he found that he merely tripped over himself. He wasn't giving up that easily though…until he saw that other dancers were laughing at him. After trying to at least look like he could move to the beat one more time, he sat down again, ashamed for having made a fool of himself.
The Sparkling Diamond smiled at him, not making fun of him it seemed, but out of pity. She then turned her head away and watched as her usual line of men came to try to earn a dance with her.
They had each lined up and were performing different complex dance moves in front of her, moves that only people who had been dancing for a very long time could even attempt. Christian hid his face at the bar.
As each of The Dukes came up to her, the woman turned them away with a smile as she shook her head. They all just shrugged, knowing they would have plenty of other chances. As the line moved forward, the dance moves got more complex, and they each tried harder to impress her. She was almost their prize to be won.
However, the woman politely turned each of them away. She was here to make contact, and would only dance when she found someone she with whom she felt right. So when the line ended and the dancers were back on the dance floor, as if they had already forgotten the girl in the yellow dress, she turned towards Christian and pulled him to his feet.
She had not spoken all evening, but with her eyes she seemed to say "Let's dance!"
Christian found that with the woman leading he could dance much more easily, and let himself be swept away. As the song was ending in the background, and they all heard, "And then we will be beyond the sea, and ever again we'll go sailing!" Christian thought how he would love to read some of his poetry to this woman. But then he remembered who he was, and believed that she would not care about him anyway.
The music was quickly changed to "Do You Wanna Dance?", and Christian and the mysterious woman were the center of attention. The other dancers had cleared away to watch them, in envy, though most of them were looking at the woman in the yellow dress.
As the dance became faster and more lively, Christian found himself swept away and was no longer dancing with the Sparkling Diamond. He in fact caught a glimpse of her dancing with one of the Dukes again. His only comfort by this was that her smile looked fake with this other man, and with him he hoped it had been real.
Christian left the club, at least in somewhat higher spirits than when he had come. Even if only for a few hours, he had enjoyed himself for the first time in his life. His thoughts kept drifting back to that unnamed woman, and how he had instantly fallen for her. Christian felt very strange about this, because while he had always written about love, he had never actually been in love before…he looked at his feet, saddened because he thought he would never see her again.
When he arrived back at his apartment, he found it in the same messy state that he had left it. It was almost as if he had entered another world. At the nightclub everyone was lively and care-free, but back at home he faced reality. *She doesn't care about me. I was a fool to believe! I'm just another guy looking for a pretty girl to dance with to her…I won't even see her again* he thought to himself.
He came once again to his cluttered desk, and found his phone filled with new messages. He lay down on the sofa in exhaustion after he pressed the blaring red button.
"Mr. Wiley, please listen to me! It's me again, the woman from downstairs. Mr. Wiley, I have found you a rug company and I will make them come tomorrow morning if you don't do it yourself! I can't stand the noise, do you realize that I need sleep? And I'm not the only one. The landlord, Mr. Zidler, has received filed complaints from those on either side of you as well. Please get a rug, for your own sake, or they'll kick you out. Mr. Wiley, I've got the number right here. Call me and I'll tell you! I know you're there!"
Christian sighed. He wasn't trying to annoy this woman, but she didn't know his situation.
"Mr. Wiley, it's me again, Doctor Kaufman. I know how you're feeling, Mr. Wiley. You're lonely. We all get lonely sometimes. We all feel like there's nowhere to go, and like no one cares about us at all. I can help you Mr. Wiley. I can help you to see that the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. Don't give up. Call me back."
Christian almost laughed at the low, monotone voice mixed with a raspy lisp and strange accent. Just the message itself amused him. Doctor Kaufman didn't know the half of it.
"Hey man, you never came! We stayed at the club till like 12, where were you? We had to leave though cause our Argentinean friend here fell asleep randomly on the dance floor, muttering something about "Without trust, there is no love." He wanted us to tell ya that!"
They got cut off, after Christian had heard strange shouts and laughter, and could only assume his friends had had just a little too much to drink.
Christian couldn't sleep that night. His thoughts kept drifting back to her. She was in his thoughts, he couldn't get her out of his head. *But she doesn't care about me, who am I fooling?* he asked himself. Still, he had to see her again. He had to know. So he returned to the nightclub…one…last…time.
This time, upon entering the club Christian found that it looked basically the same, but that the dancing seemed a little less interesting, as if by now no one cared as much. Several heads turned in his direction when he walked towards the bar, giving him "You-don't-belong-here" looks. They hadn't forgotten him. And they were jealous.
As Christian sat down he noticed that the girl in the yellow dress was nowhere to be found. He was desperate - he had to find her again, and he called out for her, but no one listened.
"Has anyone seen the girl in the yellow dress? Please! I need to find her! Has anyone -"
"She'll be back," it was the bartender again. "They all come back. You did."
"How do you know?" Christian asked with concern.
"Just watch."
The lights dimmed, as smoke appeared from behind the glass door, and through it everyone could see the familiar beautiful yellow.
Christian smiled despite himself. She had come back to him…but he doubted they could dance again.
The woman entered and received her usual stares, as she completed her solo routine that she did every night in the middle of the floor. The usual group of men was also beginning to form. She had not yet looked at Christian.
Christian was rushing through the now-thickening crowd to get to her, but he could not push through the people. There were not even many dancers in the room, but wherever he went they all seemed to dance without thought right in front of him.
The Sparkling Diamond had danced with several of the Dukes again, who were off in the corner, probably bragging to each other. She was now in the middle of what was becoming a complex modern-looking line dance. Christian was behind the line and no one seemed to notice him at all.
The bartender was giving him looks. "Go out and get her, man! She does like you, I know it, I know she likes you! I only speak the truth." The guy shrugged and went back to fixing drinks and changing music.
When Christian had finally reached the woman and he caught her eye, he saw The Dukes approaching him. She looked concerned for him, but could not stop them from picking him up and carrying him high above their heads. He was their victim of jealousy.
To Christian it seemed that they had not even taken him anywhere, but that the nightclub had morphed into his apartment. The bar had become his desk, and where the bartender had been resting his head in his hand only a second ago was his phone. Christian's mind whirled in confusion, but even as he noticed all this, he felt himself beginning to black out.
He couldn't think clearly anymore, but the last thing he saw was one of The Dukes slipping the rope around his neck.
As they left, a loud crack was heard.
There were a few seconds of silence, and then the phone began to ring.
Christian gasped for breath. Minutes had passed, precious minutes in which he would have died if The Dukes had not been fooled by the darkness. They had not noticed that he was still partially standing on the sofa below.
With exhaustion, both physical and emotional, he ran to the phone, determined to talk to the woman that kept calling.
The message had already started. "Mr. Wiley, pick up the phone! I know you're there -"
Grabbing the phone, Christian spoke, out of breathe. "Yes…sorry…I, I was busy. You're calling about the noise again."
"Yes Mr. Wiley. Please get a rug!"
Christian was so tired he could hardly talk. "Fine. Maybe. But -"
"Alright, that's it. I'm coming up there Mr. Wiley. I want to know what is going on."
Christian heard a click followed by footsteps coming toward his door. He rushed to hide the rope and pills that were scattered all over the floor.
The woman from downstairs was now banging on his door. "Mr. Wiley, open up! This has gone too far!"
He stammered for an answer. "Alright…alright…um, give me a minute!"
He still had not found a place to hide the rope, and so eventually just threw it down on his desk. She probably wouldn't notice it among his mess of other things anyways.
He ran to the door and almost took a step back before he opened it. He had never met this woman before and least wanted to attempt to make a good first impression. *What am I thinking? I've already lost my chance at that* he thought sadly.
He slowly pulled opened the door and saw something that made him freeze. His eyes were wide as he considered who was before him.
She was wearing a yellow robe over a white night gown, and her long red hair was falling over her shoulders. She too was staring with familiarity.
Christian almost shuddered. He was frightened by what had happened, and was unsure of how to handle himself. "It's you…" he whispered.
The woman was looking down and squinting in confusion. "The man from the bar…" it had dawned on her. "But that's not the point. I came here to ask you for the last time to get a rug!" As she looked into his eyes she found she could not yell at him.
Christian nodded, a smile creeping up on his face. "I will…I promise. First thing tomorrow morning."
The woman nodded in thanks and was about to leave. Christian could not be away from her right now. He had to stop her.
"I - I'll carpet the whole place! Wall to wall! But…"
The woman had stopped. She didn't want any "buts".
Christian lowered his voice. "But only if you will dance with me."
She laughed at his enthusiasm. "I already have danced with you, Mr. Wiley."
"Please, call me Christian. We must dance." He took hold of her hands.
"Here? Now? Mr. Wi - Christian, look, I don't think this is a good idea."
He had already started to dance, with an arm around her waist. "Here. Now," he repeated.
As they began to dance together, Christian letting the woman lead just like before, he felt almost as if someone had saved his miserable life. He had not been truly happy like this for a long time.
He began to sing softly. "Tonight, tonight, it all began tonight. I saw you, and the world went away…"
The woman had stepped back from him, but still held one of his hands. She was obviously surprised that he was singing to her, yet something in his voice enchanted her. "Wh - What?" she stammered.
Christian continued. "I watched the stars fall silent, from your eyes, oh the sites that I have seen…there's a new planet in the solar system, there is nothing up my sleeve."
The woman was gaping at him. "Christian…no, stop…"
By now Christian was smiling broadly at her and had whirled her around to face him directly. "Love love me do, you know I love you, I'll always be true, so please love me do!"
The woman sighed and shook her head. She had to tell Christian of her past experience with love, that had made her believe it was all just a silly game. She thought of a song she could use in her defense. "It won't be easy, you'll think it's strange, when I try to explain how I feel…"
Tears had begun to fall down her cheeks in memory, and Christian had led her to sit on the sofa. He too had had a long-gone relationship that ended only in tears, and knew how she felt. "What do you mean?" he asked gently.
The woman had to explain to him. "If there's a price for rotten judgment, I guess I've already won that. No man is worth the aggravation, that's ancient history been there, done that!"
Christian burst out into loud song as a reply to her last statement. "I could be your hero baby!"
He continued as her smile at him turned to a sweet laugh. "I could kiss away the pain. I will stand by you forever, you can take my breath away."
The woman rose from the couch, and his hand fell from her shoulder. She continued to laugh at him, enjoying his naivety. "Why, why, why do fools fall in love?"
The song and dance had almost become like a conversation by now, each person defending their own beliefs. Christian stood next to her and responded, "Love will live, love will last, love goes on and on and on…"
The woman rolled her eyes at him, and said, as if it were a bad thing, "People will say we're in love!"
Christian realized she didn't want to be seen with a man again. She had spent so long moving from dancer to dancer at the club and never choosing anyone, that a real relationship was impossible to her. "Who cares what they all say? Let people say we're in love."
She shook her head again, still holding his hand. "Christian, I…I can't…"
He quieted her. "Shh. I think we're alone now. There doesn't seem to be anyone around. I think we're alone now, the beating of our hearts is the only sound."
The woman had sat back down on the couch, her head in her hands. This was too much for her to handle. She could not let herself fall for this man. "But love is not the easy thing, the only baggage you can bring -"
Christian continued their conversation by song, looking away from her for the first time. "Why can't they understand the way we feel?"
The woman responded in defense of "them", "They just don't trust what they can't explain!"
Christian met her eyes again and stared at her, almost in a trance. "I know we're different but deep inside us, we're not that different at all."
The woman found that she could not leave his gaze. His eyes were almost pulling her in. She broke the stare suddenly and looked away. "So, you can sing," she laughed. "That don't impress me much."
Christian smiled at her nervous laughter. "Once upon the road, I came across a lad, singing in a voice three times his size. When I asked him why, he told me he was sad, and singing always made his spirits rise!"
Although the woman was impressed by this, she wasn't giving in that easily. "What's love got to do with it?" she sang back to him.
"Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs…well what's wrong with that, I'd like to know." His face was inches from hers now.
The woman quickly pulled away from him, still somewhat frightened. All of this was very new to her, especially being around a man that actually cared about her, not just her beauty. "Plenty of things, Christian…"
He put a supportive arm around her shoulder as he realized she was pained with memories again. "No more talk of darkness, forget this wide-eyed fear. I'm here, nothing can harm you, my words will warm and calm you."
The woman shook her head, trying to find some strength left to resist him. "No chance, no way, I won't say it, oh no."
Christian continued, watching her face change. "Say you'll be with me each life, each lifetime…Everywhere you go let me go too…Say you love me!"
She shook her head again, but this time was not laughing. "It's too clichéd, I won't say I'm in love!"
As Christian kept an arm around her shoulder he took hold of her hand. "Never knew, I could feel like this."
This simple statement left the woman in awe.
He went on, all the while staring straight into her eyes. "Like I've never seen the sky before. Want to vanish inside your kiss, everyday I love you more and more. Seasons may change, winter to spring, but I love you, until the end of time…"
The woman finally brought her eyes to meet Christian's. "I'm certain if I fall in love I'm lost without a trace -"
He finished for her, "But it's worth it, for that face."
They both stood and sang together in glorious harmony, "And I can't see me lovin' nobody but you, for all my life! No I can't see me lovin nobody but you…"
The woman finished the duet. "How wonderful life is, now you're in the world."
Christian had not realized his window was open, and noticed that her light yellow robe was fluttering in the breeze. "I don't even know your name," he whispered.
She smiled back at him. "Satine. It's Satine."
They suddenly shared a kiss, and a thousand graceful dancers seemed to appear all around them to celebrate the moment. In the history of the kiss, there have been five kisses that have been ranked the most passionate, the most true. This one left them all behind.
The end.
Songs used: "Tonight" from West Side Story, "The Great Beyond" by REM, "Love Love Me Do" by the Beatles, "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from Evita, "I Won't Say I'm in Love" from Disney's Hercules, "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias, "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" by someone (sorry, I forget, whoever you are you get the credit and it was just one line anyways!), "Love" from Disney's Robin Hood, "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma!, "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany, "Walk On", by U2, "You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins, "That Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain, "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" from Camelot, "What's Love Got To Do With It?" by, again, someone, not me, "Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney, "All I Ask Of You" Phantom of the Opera, "Come What May" from the best movie ever, Moulin Rouge, "That Face" from the best Broadway play ever, The Producers, "I Can't See Me Lovin Nobody But You" by umm…the famous Somebody yet again, and "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston.
A/N: also, if you know any of these songs, which you probably do, and you didn't see the main lines in there it's because I picked out a certain few that would work for the storyline. Also, that last quote at the end is from The Princess Bride.
Disclaimer: These characters and stories and EVERYTHING belong either to the creators of Contact or of Moulin Rouge, so don't get mad at me. Does anyone actually care about these disclaimers anyway? Don't think so…Also, I hope to put in a song medley at the end that will be similar to Elephant Love Medley and I will cite those songs when I write it…
Christian Wiley stumbled up to the stage laughing, and looking a bit drunk. He took the statuette of a golden figure and shook the presenter's hand, with a very broad smile on his face. Yet something in those dark eyes said that behind this mask of happiness there was a life of despair.
"Thanks so much, you don't know how glad I am for this…this award for Best Novel Unfortunately Most Likely To Go Nowhere. This gold statue is great…well it's not really gold is it, just sort of…painted. Oh well. I want to thank everyone I've ever known, don't worry folks, I won't list 'em. But I do want to call my shrink right now…" he dialed something on his cell phone. "Hey Doc Kaufman, whenever you get this, I'm gonna stop coming, k? I'm sane now!"
This received laughter and applause, and Christian stumbled back off the stage, having said all of this in a very happy-go-lucky manner, as if nothing mattered.
Back in his apartment however, everything changed. He entered to find it the same as always, same dark lighting, same white, sleek modern-looking furniture, same window looking out on a world happier than he was. The window led to a balcony, where Christian hardly ever went, because there was a huge shining electric red sign that said "Love" on the wall next to the balcony, and it just depressed him more.
He came to his desk, which was a mess at past attempts at stories he had written. Taking up a very large portion of it was his phone, with the huge red light blinking showing he had messages - a constant reminder of things left unfinished in his life. He warily pushed the "check messages" button.
"Mr. Wiley, it's me again, the woman from downstairs. How many times do I have to call you about the noise, Mr. Wiley? I need sleep at 3 AM! I don't know what you're doing up there, but I will personally look in the phonebook and find you a rug company! Just please stop the noise…"
Christian had moved to a little sofa that had a secret compartment where he kept what he called his "medicine".
A man with a very heavy lisp and a strange accent, yet incredibly monotone voice came on next: "Mr. Wiley, it's me, Doctor Kaufman. Mr. Wiley, you can't just give up psychiatric care over the phone. You're not done with your treatment yet. You are still badly depressed, and I can help you see the light. Please, please call me back Mr. Wiley, for your sake."
By this time Christian had taken several of the pills he had out on the sofa, and had drunk the entire bottle of a mysterious green liquid. He was attempting to remove the rope off the curtains on his window.
"Hey Christian, what's up man?" It was Christian's crazy friends, Audrey, Satie, and some exchange student from Argentina.
"We're celebrating your win and you're not even here with us! Meet us at the little place on 55th and 1st Street. It's a pool hall in the day, and then at night they push back the tables and it's a dance-nightclub! How cool is that? Get over here now!"
Christian was standing on the sofa looking down at his little statuette. He knew that even though the award actually was given out of respect, the title "Most Likely To Go Nowhere" was very fitting. He looked in despair at what his life had become.
"You…you're the only thing that means anything, and you're not even real, are you?" he said to the statuette.
Christian then tried to throw the rope over the lamp up above. This proved harder than it looked. Finally after the fifth try he got it up and over. While placing the loop he had made around his neck, he said goodbye to the world, knowing no one would care. He then closed his eyes and jumped, only to feel himself come crashing to the floor. It hadn't been tied down at the other end.
Christian cried softly with his head in his hands. His one last attempt to put an end to his misery had failed. In a state of confusion and grief, he decided to head over to the nightclub his friends had mentioned, even though he thought the trip would be pointless.
Christian walked out onto the dark alleyway, where all around him tall buildings with bright lights towered up to the sky. The rain was pouring down, and his mood was not good. He walked towards the corner of 1st Street, ignoring the huge blaring "Don't Walk" sign, because strangely the streets were empty this night.
When he had almost arrived at his destination, he got the odd sensation he was being followed. Not by people exactly, but by his thoughts, his hopes of what he could have been. He whirled around several times to check that no one was there. His mind was haunting him…he had to get away from this.
He entered the small room to find the lights dimmed and dance music blaring. Several young couples were doing modern dance steps out on the floor, and the pool tables were against the wall. Christian, feeling awkward since he had no one to dance with, went to the bar. His friends had apparently already left.
The bartender came when he saw Christian sitting on a stool. Christian's first impression was that he looked a lot like Doctor Kaufman. The doc was a very distinctive man, walking with a cane because he was a dwarf, with black-rimmed glasses that matched his short black hair. The bartender fit this description perfectly, but did not try to give Christian an annoying pep talk as his psychiatrist always did.
"Can I get you something?" he asked. Christian jumped, because the man even had the same funny lisp.
"Umm…yeah…just, just a glass of water please." Christian looked around nervously, embarrassed that he was the only one who seemed to not have anything to do. He never had been a good dancer and was not daring enough to try it now.
The bartender poured the drink. "New here?" He asked.
Christian's thoughts were elsewhere as he stared at the couples dancing. They were all dressed nicely and looked very serious as if all of this was very routine to them. "This" was something Christian felt he was lacking.
"Oh, sorry. Yes. I heard it's a pool hall by day, and then at night they - "
"Push back the tables," the bartender joined him.
There was question Christian was burning to ask. "Who are they? Why do they come here?"
The bartender shrugged. "You mean the dancers? They come here because they want to. They're just people who like to dance."
"Do any of them have names?" Christian asked, amazed by all of this that was so new to him.
"Not really. There are nicknames, but no one knows anyone else's real names. Around here we're all just another pretty face. But you see that group over there?" He pointed to a group of men all dressed nicely with black coats and gelled hair, looking like they owned the world. Christian felt that he despised them before he even knew them.
The bartender continued. "They are collectively called The Dukes, because they can get almost any girl they want to dance with them. But no one is better than anyone else here, they all just dance."
Christian drank more water, out of nervousness. He watched the couples on the floor for a long time, who seemed to move with such grace and agility. He was incredibly jealous because he knew he was incapable of even attempting to dance, and would just embarrass himself if he tried. But he wanted to dance, to dance away his cares like everyone else was doing. However, he had no one to dance with.
Just as Christian was thinking this, the room went silent and everyone backed away from the door. He stood up from his stool in apprehension.
The bartender smiled and cut the music as someone who almost seemed to be the star of the place made her glorious entrance.
The men all looked greedily towards her, while the women watched her with envy. Christian just stared in amazement.
The woman that had entered was wearing a short, shining yellow dress. She had her dark red hair pulled tightly into a bun, and was taller than almost anyone else there. She made a few graceful dance steps all by herself in the center of the room. She awaited her line of men, who came to her every night asking for a dance.
Christian was frozen to his seat. This was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he knew from that moment that it was HER he had to dance with.
"Who is she?" he whispered to the bartender.
"Someone else who likes to dance…well, she likes to dance a little more than the rest of us. Everyone here calls her the Sparkling Diamond." The woman was moving towards Christian.
She sat down next to him at the bar, and Christian didn't dare to look at her. He was afraid because he had never done anything like this before.
She stayed for awhile by Christian, but as he seemed unwilling to dance with her, she wandered off into the dance floor to dance with some of the men that had been eyeing her ever since she came in.
Christian turned to the bartender and slammed his hand on the bar. "I can't dance!"
The bartender looked at Christian like he was crazy. "Everyone can dance when they come in here! Like some of us always say, 'Outside it may be raining, but in here it's entertaining!' Listen, you may think I'm just a crazy bartender who pours drinks and watches other people dance, but I know about art and love. She likes you man, maybe even could love you if you give her a chance. Look, I'll get you a song, you get out there and make it happen, OK?"
The bartender apparently doubled as a DJ, and the music suddenly changed from modern jazz to the lively "Simply Irresistible."
Christian had walked to the other side of the room to watch the woman in the yellow dress dance. She moved so gracefully, and made it look very easy. Christian looked jealously at whom she was dancing with - it was one of The Dukes. Some of the other Dukes who had already danced with her were pointing and laughing quietly at Christian. Christian suddenly hated them. They could get any girl they wanted, just because they could dance…*And are probably filthy rich* thought Christian.
He tried to get to the Sparkling Diamond girl, but every time he almost made his way to her, he was pushed away by other dancers. People ran into him, and whether it was intentional or not, he could not reach that beautiful yellow dress.
He just went back to the bar, where the bartender poured him some of that same green liquid he had had in his apartment just a few hours ago. Christian still hadn't figured out what that stuff was, but it was strong.
The woman came back to him, and sat down once again beside him. Christian knew he had to take this chance. As the song was changed to "Somewhere Beyond the Sea" (A/N: to all you fellow Ewan fans, they really did dance to this in the play!), Christian timidly stood up.
The woman watched him, smiling expectantly. Christian tried to move his feet, but he found that he merely tripped over himself. He wasn't giving up that easily though…until he saw that other dancers were laughing at him. After trying to at least look like he could move to the beat one more time, he sat down again, ashamed for having made a fool of himself.
The Sparkling Diamond smiled at him, not making fun of him it seemed, but out of pity. She then turned her head away and watched as her usual line of men came to try to earn a dance with her.
They had each lined up and were performing different complex dance moves in front of her, moves that only people who had been dancing for a very long time could even attempt. Christian hid his face at the bar.
As each of The Dukes came up to her, the woman turned them away with a smile as she shook her head. They all just shrugged, knowing they would have plenty of other chances. As the line moved forward, the dance moves got more complex, and they each tried harder to impress her. She was almost their prize to be won.
However, the woman politely turned each of them away. She was here to make contact, and would only dance when she found someone she with whom she felt right. So when the line ended and the dancers were back on the dance floor, as if they had already forgotten the girl in the yellow dress, she turned towards Christian and pulled him to his feet.
She had not spoken all evening, but with her eyes she seemed to say "Let's dance!"
Christian found that with the woman leading he could dance much more easily, and let himself be swept away. As the song was ending in the background, and they all heard, "And then we will be beyond the sea, and ever again we'll go sailing!" Christian thought how he would love to read some of his poetry to this woman. But then he remembered who he was, and believed that she would not care about him anyway.
The music was quickly changed to "Do You Wanna Dance?", and Christian and the mysterious woman were the center of attention. The other dancers had cleared away to watch them, in envy, though most of them were looking at the woman in the yellow dress.
As the dance became faster and more lively, Christian found himself swept away and was no longer dancing with the Sparkling Diamond. He in fact caught a glimpse of her dancing with one of the Dukes again. His only comfort by this was that her smile looked fake with this other man, and with him he hoped it had been real.
Christian left the club, at least in somewhat higher spirits than when he had come. Even if only for a few hours, he had enjoyed himself for the first time in his life. His thoughts kept drifting back to that unnamed woman, and how he had instantly fallen for her. Christian felt very strange about this, because while he had always written about love, he had never actually been in love before…he looked at his feet, saddened because he thought he would never see her again.
When he arrived back at his apartment, he found it in the same messy state that he had left it. It was almost as if he had entered another world. At the nightclub everyone was lively and care-free, but back at home he faced reality. *She doesn't care about me. I was a fool to believe! I'm just another guy looking for a pretty girl to dance with to her…I won't even see her again* he thought to himself.
He came once again to his cluttered desk, and found his phone filled with new messages. He lay down on the sofa in exhaustion after he pressed the blaring red button.
"Mr. Wiley, please listen to me! It's me again, the woman from downstairs. Mr. Wiley, I have found you a rug company and I will make them come tomorrow morning if you don't do it yourself! I can't stand the noise, do you realize that I need sleep? And I'm not the only one. The landlord, Mr. Zidler, has received filed complaints from those on either side of you as well. Please get a rug, for your own sake, or they'll kick you out. Mr. Wiley, I've got the number right here. Call me and I'll tell you! I know you're there!"
Christian sighed. He wasn't trying to annoy this woman, but she didn't know his situation.
"Mr. Wiley, it's me again, Doctor Kaufman. I know how you're feeling, Mr. Wiley. You're lonely. We all get lonely sometimes. We all feel like there's nowhere to go, and like no one cares about us at all. I can help you Mr. Wiley. I can help you to see that the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. Don't give up. Call me back."
Christian almost laughed at the low, monotone voice mixed with a raspy lisp and strange accent. Just the message itself amused him. Doctor Kaufman didn't know the half of it.
"Hey man, you never came! We stayed at the club till like 12, where were you? We had to leave though cause our Argentinean friend here fell asleep randomly on the dance floor, muttering something about "Without trust, there is no love." He wanted us to tell ya that!"
They got cut off, after Christian had heard strange shouts and laughter, and could only assume his friends had had just a little too much to drink.
Christian couldn't sleep that night. His thoughts kept drifting back to her. She was in his thoughts, he couldn't get her out of his head. *But she doesn't care about me, who am I fooling?* he asked himself. Still, he had to see her again. He had to know. So he returned to the nightclub…one…last…time.
This time, upon entering the club Christian found that it looked basically the same, but that the dancing seemed a little less interesting, as if by now no one cared as much. Several heads turned in his direction when he walked towards the bar, giving him "You-don't-belong-here" looks. They hadn't forgotten him. And they were jealous.
As Christian sat down he noticed that the girl in the yellow dress was nowhere to be found. He was desperate - he had to find her again, and he called out for her, but no one listened.
"Has anyone seen the girl in the yellow dress? Please! I need to find her! Has anyone -"
"She'll be back," it was the bartender again. "They all come back. You did."
"How do you know?" Christian asked with concern.
"Just watch."
The lights dimmed, as smoke appeared from behind the glass door, and through it everyone could see the familiar beautiful yellow.
Christian smiled despite himself. She had come back to him…but he doubted they could dance again.
The woman entered and received her usual stares, as she completed her solo routine that she did every night in the middle of the floor. The usual group of men was also beginning to form. She had not yet looked at Christian.
Christian was rushing through the now-thickening crowd to get to her, but he could not push through the people. There were not even many dancers in the room, but wherever he went they all seemed to dance without thought right in front of him.
The Sparkling Diamond had danced with several of the Dukes again, who were off in the corner, probably bragging to each other. She was now in the middle of what was becoming a complex modern-looking line dance. Christian was behind the line and no one seemed to notice him at all.
The bartender was giving him looks. "Go out and get her, man! She does like you, I know it, I know she likes you! I only speak the truth." The guy shrugged and went back to fixing drinks and changing music.
When Christian had finally reached the woman and he caught her eye, he saw The Dukes approaching him. She looked concerned for him, but could not stop them from picking him up and carrying him high above their heads. He was their victim of jealousy.
To Christian it seemed that they had not even taken him anywhere, but that the nightclub had morphed into his apartment. The bar had become his desk, and where the bartender had been resting his head in his hand only a second ago was his phone. Christian's mind whirled in confusion, but even as he noticed all this, he felt himself beginning to black out.
He couldn't think clearly anymore, but the last thing he saw was one of The Dukes slipping the rope around his neck.
As they left, a loud crack was heard.
There were a few seconds of silence, and then the phone began to ring.
Christian gasped for breath. Minutes had passed, precious minutes in which he would have died if The Dukes had not been fooled by the darkness. They had not noticed that he was still partially standing on the sofa below.
With exhaustion, both physical and emotional, he ran to the phone, determined to talk to the woman that kept calling.
The message had already started. "Mr. Wiley, pick up the phone! I know you're there -"
Grabbing the phone, Christian spoke, out of breathe. "Yes…sorry…I, I was busy. You're calling about the noise again."
"Yes Mr. Wiley. Please get a rug!"
Christian was so tired he could hardly talk. "Fine. Maybe. But -"
"Alright, that's it. I'm coming up there Mr. Wiley. I want to know what is going on."
Christian heard a click followed by footsteps coming toward his door. He rushed to hide the rope and pills that were scattered all over the floor.
The woman from downstairs was now banging on his door. "Mr. Wiley, open up! This has gone too far!"
He stammered for an answer. "Alright…alright…um, give me a minute!"
He still had not found a place to hide the rope, and so eventually just threw it down on his desk. She probably wouldn't notice it among his mess of other things anyways.
He ran to the door and almost took a step back before he opened it. He had never met this woman before and least wanted to attempt to make a good first impression. *What am I thinking? I've already lost my chance at that* he thought sadly.
He slowly pulled opened the door and saw something that made him freeze. His eyes were wide as he considered who was before him.
She was wearing a yellow robe over a white night gown, and her long red hair was falling over her shoulders. She too was staring with familiarity.
Christian almost shuddered. He was frightened by what had happened, and was unsure of how to handle himself. "It's you…" he whispered.
The woman was looking down and squinting in confusion. "The man from the bar…" it had dawned on her. "But that's not the point. I came here to ask you for the last time to get a rug!" As she looked into his eyes she found she could not yell at him.
Christian nodded, a smile creeping up on his face. "I will…I promise. First thing tomorrow morning."
The woman nodded in thanks and was about to leave. Christian could not be away from her right now. He had to stop her.
"I - I'll carpet the whole place! Wall to wall! But…"
The woman had stopped. She didn't want any "buts".
Christian lowered his voice. "But only if you will dance with me."
She laughed at his enthusiasm. "I already have danced with you, Mr. Wiley."
"Please, call me Christian. We must dance." He took hold of her hands.
"Here? Now? Mr. Wi - Christian, look, I don't think this is a good idea."
He had already started to dance, with an arm around her waist. "Here. Now," he repeated.
As they began to dance together, Christian letting the woman lead just like before, he felt almost as if someone had saved his miserable life. He had not been truly happy like this for a long time.
He began to sing softly. "Tonight, tonight, it all began tonight. I saw you, and the world went away…"
The woman had stepped back from him, but still held one of his hands. She was obviously surprised that he was singing to her, yet something in his voice enchanted her. "Wh - What?" she stammered.
Christian continued. "I watched the stars fall silent, from your eyes, oh the sites that I have seen…there's a new planet in the solar system, there is nothing up my sleeve."
The woman was gaping at him. "Christian…no, stop…"
By now Christian was smiling broadly at her and had whirled her around to face him directly. "Love love me do, you know I love you, I'll always be true, so please love me do!"
The woman sighed and shook her head. She had to tell Christian of her past experience with love, that had made her believe it was all just a silly game. She thought of a song she could use in her defense. "It won't be easy, you'll think it's strange, when I try to explain how I feel…"
Tears had begun to fall down her cheeks in memory, and Christian had led her to sit on the sofa. He too had had a long-gone relationship that ended only in tears, and knew how she felt. "What do you mean?" he asked gently.
The woman had to explain to him. "If there's a price for rotten judgment, I guess I've already won that. No man is worth the aggravation, that's ancient history been there, done that!"
Christian burst out into loud song as a reply to her last statement. "I could be your hero baby!"
He continued as her smile at him turned to a sweet laugh. "I could kiss away the pain. I will stand by you forever, you can take my breath away."
The woman rose from the couch, and his hand fell from her shoulder. She continued to laugh at him, enjoying his naivety. "Why, why, why do fools fall in love?"
The song and dance had almost become like a conversation by now, each person defending their own beliefs. Christian stood next to her and responded, "Love will live, love will last, love goes on and on and on…"
The woman rolled her eyes at him, and said, as if it were a bad thing, "People will say we're in love!"
Christian realized she didn't want to be seen with a man again. She had spent so long moving from dancer to dancer at the club and never choosing anyone, that a real relationship was impossible to her. "Who cares what they all say? Let people say we're in love."
She shook her head again, still holding his hand. "Christian, I…I can't…"
He quieted her. "Shh. I think we're alone now. There doesn't seem to be anyone around. I think we're alone now, the beating of our hearts is the only sound."
The woman had sat back down on the couch, her head in her hands. This was too much for her to handle. She could not let herself fall for this man. "But love is not the easy thing, the only baggage you can bring -"
Christian continued their conversation by song, looking away from her for the first time. "Why can't they understand the way we feel?"
The woman responded in defense of "them", "They just don't trust what they can't explain!"
Christian met her eyes again and stared at her, almost in a trance. "I know we're different but deep inside us, we're not that different at all."
The woman found that she could not leave his gaze. His eyes were almost pulling her in. She broke the stare suddenly and looked away. "So, you can sing," she laughed. "That don't impress me much."
Christian smiled at her nervous laughter. "Once upon the road, I came across a lad, singing in a voice three times his size. When I asked him why, he told me he was sad, and singing always made his spirits rise!"
Although the woman was impressed by this, she wasn't giving in that easily. "What's love got to do with it?" she sang back to him.
"Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs…well what's wrong with that, I'd like to know." His face was inches from hers now.
The woman quickly pulled away from him, still somewhat frightened. All of this was very new to her, especially being around a man that actually cared about her, not just her beauty. "Plenty of things, Christian…"
He put a supportive arm around her shoulder as he realized she was pained with memories again. "No more talk of darkness, forget this wide-eyed fear. I'm here, nothing can harm you, my words will warm and calm you."
The woman shook her head, trying to find some strength left to resist him. "No chance, no way, I won't say it, oh no."
Christian continued, watching her face change. "Say you'll be with me each life, each lifetime…Everywhere you go let me go too…Say you love me!"
She shook her head again, but this time was not laughing. "It's too clichéd, I won't say I'm in love!"
As Christian kept an arm around her shoulder he took hold of her hand. "Never knew, I could feel like this."
This simple statement left the woman in awe.
He went on, all the while staring straight into her eyes. "Like I've never seen the sky before. Want to vanish inside your kiss, everyday I love you more and more. Seasons may change, winter to spring, but I love you, until the end of time…"
The woman finally brought her eyes to meet Christian's. "I'm certain if I fall in love I'm lost without a trace -"
He finished for her, "But it's worth it, for that face."
They both stood and sang together in glorious harmony, "And I can't see me lovin' nobody but you, for all my life! No I can't see me lovin nobody but you…"
The woman finished the duet. "How wonderful life is, now you're in the world."
Christian had not realized his window was open, and noticed that her light yellow robe was fluttering in the breeze. "I don't even know your name," he whispered.
She smiled back at him. "Satine. It's Satine."
They suddenly shared a kiss, and a thousand graceful dancers seemed to appear all around them to celebrate the moment. In the history of the kiss, there have been five kisses that have been ranked the most passionate, the most true. This one left them all behind.
The end.
Songs used: "Tonight" from West Side Story, "The Great Beyond" by REM, "Love Love Me Do" by the Beatles, "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from Evita, "I Won't Say I'm in Love" from Disney's Hercules, "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias, "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" by someone (sorry, I forget, whoever you are you get the credit and it was just one line anyways!), "Love" from Disney's Robin Hood, "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma!, "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany, "Walk On", by U2, "You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins, "That Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain, "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" from Camelot, "What's Love Got To Do With It?" by, again, someone, not me, "Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney, "All I Ask Of You" Phantom of the Opera, "Come What May" from the best movie ever, Moulin Rouge, "That Face" from the best Broadway play ever, The Producers, "I Can't See Me Lovin Nobody But You" by umm…the famous Somebody yet again, and "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston.
A/N: also, if you know any of these songs, which you probably do, and you didn't see the main lines in there it's because I picked out a certain few that would work for the storyline. Also, that last quote at the end is from The Princess Bride.