Disclaimer: I don't own Phantom and I probably never will, no infringement of copyright intended ect. Ect.

Erik Amore was finding it very difficult not to throttle Andrew.

"There is no way I am going to that party. You can't force me."

Andrew sighed. It was the long suffering sigh of someone who has known his friend for a long time and knows it will be hard to change the friend's mind. "Look I have to bring 1 guest. That's how the party works. Angelique's family and mine are really close I can't just not go! Please Erik?"

Erik took a deep breath and counted to ten with his eyes shut. "Andrew…" he sighed, "I can't. People won't thank you for bringing me."

Then it was Andrew's turn to sigh again. "Erik I promise if we get one comment about your mask I will let you leave. I just have to bring a friend or I won't be allowed in. My family aren't like that anyway, and you know it."

"You owe me big time Andy."

Andrew cheered, "I'll take that as a yes. And now I have to go and inform my family we'll be coming before you change your mind." Or before you throttle me… Andy had known Erik since Primary School, it was a huge thing for him to agree to come to a family do and Andy knew he would be repaying his debt to Erik for a long time afterwards. "You know," he added, as he was about to leave, "You might just enjoy it." Andrew grinned and slammed the door just in time to hear something hit the other side of the door.

------

"Oh Angie stop fussing." Henriette wrinkled her nose at her reflection. Angelique may be her best friend but now Henri was wondering why on earth she had allowed herself to be bedecked and frilled by her. The outfit did look fabulous though, but Henri never wore makeup and she thought the eye shadow was a bit much.

"Henriette you look beautiful!" Angie clapped, as per usual she was overly cheerful and looking forward to the party, her hair hung around her face which was made up rather seductively in deep reds and earth tones to match the burgundy sash tied around her waist. She was wearing a white shirt, embroidered with roses and a dark brown skirt that sat diagonally so one side brushed her ankles and the other just reached her knees.

"I have no idea why you are constantly trying to make me go out Angie." She sighed, tracing her scars with a primed and polished false nail. "I look ridiculous. I wish I had your figure."

The two girls giggled at each other. Henri was taller, being older, but had not been blessed by the bosom fairy and had little in the way of curves. When she was younger, before she met Angelique, if she didn't want to be recognised she would pretend she was a boy and call herself Henry so no one knew her real identity. Henriette liked having her identity secret as much as possible because of her past. It wasn't that she'd suffered a great trauma and was scared to show her true feeling or anything like that, she loved showing her feelings, and she wasn't shy in the normal way at all. It was just that she could remember what happened in her past. Her whole life she remembered a normal upbringing, some distant relative had paid for her to grow up in the boarding school where she had eventually met Angelique. But, before school she couldn't remember anything, nothing, not even why she didn't have parents or why she was scarred all over her face and arms.

Angelique however was tall for her age, thin and had a pretty figure, and looked good in pretty much anything she wore. Henriette often teased her for being a porcelain doll with her pale skin, bright blue eyes and dark straight hair.

"Henriette stop being silly!" Angie smiled when they finally got over the giggles, "You look brilliant, even with that silly bandana on. You should count yourself lucky I got you that long sleeved top and trousers not the outfit I really wanted to make you wear."

"You wouldn't dare."

"I would."

"I hate you."

"Yes, I'm sure you do."

They giggled again and Angelique forced Henri to confront the mirror one last time so she could do her hair. Even Henri had to admit this outfit did do her justice. She had been forced to wear tight black trousers that showed off what Angie called her 'hot little arse' to its full potential and a silver-green sash to match Angelique's red one. On her top half she was wearing a long sleeved top in an under-bust corset style. The corset was black, with silvery green stitching and the rest of the shirt was in a stylish green with flowing sleeves. The outfits were designed especially for the occasion by Angie and she had somehow made them completely different whilst making them match.

Heck the shirt even made her look like she had a bust!

Angelique stepped back. Henriette's long pale brown hair was done up in a plait curled around and pinned up so it was in a bun but some strands had been left to hang tastefully around her face and shoulders and down to her waist. That was the other thing, Henri's hair went all the way down to her waist, she had always left it long as a second line of defence against her face and arms.

"Angelique you are a genius. Where did you find my chest?" she laughed, punching her friend lightly on the arm.

"Under the bed." Angie joked in return, "Come on or we'll be late."

After a final squabble over jewellery the two girls left for the party.