"Wow! You can play quite well for someone who's been locked up for 3000 years."

"You aren't so bad yourself, ghoul."

She looked at him and raised her eyebrows in a challenging way. "Not so bad? I would make better music than you in my sleep."

"Is that so, little ghoul? Who are you to be more experienced than me? I've been playing the violin since I could float!" he replied to the feisty girl.

"And I've been listening to my daddy's music since I could crawl!" the girl said with pride.

"Who's daddy?" he asked.

"Oh, the Phantom. The Phantom of the Opera. I'm his daughter, and I've been listening to his melodies and arias all my life. My name's Operetta." the girl answered.

"Operetta, eh? Funny; you'd think he'd name you Christine." the boy said.

"Why would he do that?" the girl asked, genuinely confused.

"Oh, no apparent reason." he replied with a smirk. "I'm Johnny, by the way. Johnny Spirit".

"I know." Operetta said not-so-kindly. "I've heard it at least 20 times today, and you just got out a few hours ago. You really should stop strolling around these halls like you own the place, it gives you an overrated rep."

"Well, these halls are kind of mine. I've been here longer than any of you. I mean, don't you see all the ghouls and the guys clearing the way when I pass? Can't help it if I have that sort of effect on people, hun." Johnny said egoistically.

"Oh, get over yourself! You aint half as bad or rebellious as people make you seem. And you might have been here longer, but you didn't spend all those 3000 years roaming the halls now, did you? You were rather... how to put it? Locked in a janitor's closet until the principal freed you?" she said, snickering.

"Oh, very smart comeback. It wasn't pleasant to be locked up, if you must know that. I missed my good old violin."

"Oh I can understand that. I would go crazy if I were to be away from my beautiful piano for that long a time. Seriously, how'd you stand it?" Operetta asked, a little sympathy detected in her tone now.

"Counting the seconds left remaining." he chuckled.

"Ouch." she said. "What'd you do to end up being locked anyway?"

"Me and my buddies planned and played the best prank in the history of monsters! The money and time needed to fix the damage we've done was... well, let's just say a lot. Anyways, Principal Bloodgood was furious with us. She was going to give 500 years of punishment for each person involved in the prank; but the other 5 involved in it; my friends... Well, they sold me out. They all said I manipulated them into playing the prank. And given my history with the school administration, well, they didn't really believe me when I said I didn't force them. So I got all their detention years, and all together it added up to 3000 years." Johnny said - rather confessed.

"Oh.. Sorry to hear that love." Operetta said, and put her hand on his shoulder for comfort. "Some mean friends you've got.. But on the other hand, who am I to speak?".

"What do you mean?" Johnny asked her.

"Oh, that's a long story for another day."

"But I told you mine. You owe it to me to tell me yours."

"I don't owe you anything! Wanna hear the story, come to the catacombs another time to hear it."

"So, since we're speaking about it. The catacombs. ...Who does it belong to?" Johnny said, changing the subject.

"Don't even think about it, pretty boy. The catacombs are MINE." she said strongly.

" 'Pretty boy' ?" Johnny asked, raising one eyebrow, half smirking.

"Oh, shut up!" Operetta said, coughing at first, taken aback by the question.

"I mean.. Everyone knows I'm pretty, but I didn't think you'd admit it too ghoul."

"Operetta. It's Operetta; not 'ghoul' " she corrected him.

"Yeah, and I'm Johnny; not 'pretty boy' " he said, correcting her.

"Ow. Okay, sorry for that one." she said, realizing the hypocrisy in her words.

"S'okay. I forgive you." he said with a serious face.

"Oh stop mocking!" she said angrily and punched him on the shoulder. "And go back to playing, this match aint over yet! Pretty boy.".

"Oh it's on, ghoul. It's on.".

They looked at each other and laughed, then looked at their instruments and started playing them once again...

...Until the argument was settled, and the catacombs were shared between the two equally; one side being covered with Johnny's rock posters and the other with Operetta's musical and opera posters, perfectly in tune with each other..