Ok, I thought it would be fun for you readers to pick out all the little innuendos and references I make in each chapter. I should have started doing this from chapter one -- but I wonder if some of you can point them all out.

For example, Chapter 2 -- Nadir tells Erik that class 663 is in the west wing. "West Wing" is the forbidden section of the tower in Beauty & the Beast. B&B equals Phantom, etc. Whoever gets them all, will get a shout-out in the upcoming chapter.

This is like "Where's Waldo", and like Elle Woods would say, "But funner!"

Knock yourselves out!


Christine liked psychology. It was too bad she couldn't concentrate when all she could think about was a boy who she'd only met a few minutes ago. She sat down, pulled her hair up into a ponytail, and put on her glasses. She was going to be studious no matter what because she was a good girl dammit.

The psych teacher was a woman in her late fifties with short, ash-grey blonde hair and a warm smile.

"Hello class, I'm Ms. Kay. I live with my husband and two children in Cheshire." She laughed like she found it amusing, "And that's all the personal information that you're going to get out of me!"

She walked around the table and put her fingers together, forming the shape of a chapel with her hands. "Everyone take out a piece of paper please."

An audible grown escaped everyone's throats.

"Yes, I know. We must all be prepared for the challenge of psychology, whether it is at a party, while writing a book, or in the classroom. I want you to describe the Oedipus Complex in one succinct paragraph."

Christine knew the answer and started writing right away. She suddenly had the feeling that someone was looking over her shoulder, and she turned around to see Luciana Lamento inconspicuously peering at her paper.

"Hey!" Christine frowned at the little Italian. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Copying your answer—duh!" Luciana gave a soft retort. She had long, thick black hair, lots of black lashes that framed her black eyes, and thick, black eyebrows. A whole lotta black against her fair skin. "Are you going to let me? Or do I have to tell Daddy?"

Luciana's father, Giovanni Lamento, was a rich architect who owned enough stock to buy three hundred Opera High's. There was really nothing too expensive or impossible to get for Luciana and that included nice clothes, boys, and good grades. Luciana had a little hand in things herself.

"Well, with the wrongness of cheating aside," Christine said, "Don't you think Ms. Kay is going to notice that your answer is exactly the same as mine?"

"It's the same question. Of course the answers are going to be the same." Luciana batted her luscious lashes and stuck out her lip, "Please, Christina—I'll pay you for it."

"I hate the name Christina," Christine motioned toward the brunette sitting to the right of Luciana who was furiously writing in on her paper. "Why don't you ask Emmy? She's closer to your desk."

"As if." Luciana made a face. "If I want someone to spread rumors that I'm stupid and had to copy off of a 'star singer' I'll ask Carlotta. Emmy's going to use my name to get an interview in the Opera Times just so her picture would be on the front page." She looked at Christine seriously and added, "cuz you know she'll do that."

"I'm sitting right next to you!" Emmy had stopped writing. She crossed her red pant-legs and folded her arms in front of her. Her mouth was halfway open (as it always was). "You are so rude."

"Bite me." Luciana's eyes twinkled mischievously.

Student Vlad, who had been listening in behind Luciana, snickered.

"I don't bite," Emmy spat at Luciana disdainfully, "That's beneath me!"

"Ok, Ms. Holier-than-thou. Get over yourself." Luciana turned back at Christine and smiled prettily. "Please? Just this once?"

"Ms. Kay? I'm sorry to interrupt, but there was a glitch in my schedule. I belong in this class."

At that voice, all three ladies looked up.

Erik. Christine fidgeted in her chair. How many classes do we share? He looked at her with his blazing eyes, and she smiled. As he walked by their desks, Emmy jabbed Luciana who jabbed Christine.

"Who's that?"

Christine shrugged. "I'm not sure." It was the truth.

Emmy's gape widened further. She suddenly had this fantastic view that beneath the mask there lay a sunburned hottie who would be the perfect arm candy to drive her to super-stardom. Luciana saw a similar vision of herself in a Versace wedding dressed getting married in Sicily to a handsome count who looked and sounded exactly like who just walked through the door. Emmy looked at Luciana, Luciana looked at Emmy, and the sisterhood of the traveling phans was born.

"Why did he look at you like that?" Luciana poked Christine again.

Christine shifted again in her chair. "He wasn't looking at me."

"Liar, he so was!" Luciana said with her eyes still fixated on him. "It figures that you would be a total slut."

"Excuse me?" Christine lifted an eyebrow and removed her glasses. "Want to look me in the face and say that again?"

"Ladies, remember, above all – self control." Ms Kay must have heard them arguing a while ago but she played along in amusement. "Remember that your pent-up animosity towards each other could actually be a metaphor for the veiled admiration that you have for each other's unique, lovely talents. Shooting venomous looks at one another is not going to satiate your need to express yourself."

Christine and Luciana looked utterly confused.

"So what do you know about him?" Luciana whispered as Ms. Kay walked away.

"I don't KNOW him," Christine replied irritably. "We just met last period!"

"Oh, so you have met," Luciana's said suspiciously. "That's why he's looking at you."

Christine quickly finished writing her paragraph and turned back to Luciana. "Maybe he was looking at you."

Luciana seemed satisfied with that suggestion. "You're right." She flipped her hair. "Maybe he was. And hey—I wasn't finished copying your answer."

Christine didn't reply.

"I heard," Emmy chimed in, "That he's adopted. He lives in this huge mansion in the secluded hills, and he's got his own personal butler."

Christine almost laughed. "Bruce Wayne doesn't wear a mask, ok?"

"Yeah, but Batman does." Luciana dreamily looked back at Erik, who was listening intently to the teacher and completely ignorant of the girls' fawning over him.

"He's definitely rich. Look at his shoes." Emmy pointed out, "Ferragamo."

"Bruce Wayne already goes to this school," Christine said. "Raoul DeChagny, remember?"

The girls grinned at the mention of Raoul's name.

"Shag-Me," they hummed.

"All right, I'm separating you three." Ms. Kay stood over the girls. "Luciana, go sit in that seat in the back. Next to our new student."

Luciana could not have bolted out of her chair faster.

Christine didn't look at them. She's had enough drama since first period to keep her mind frazzled for a week. She tried really hard to focus on what their discussion of The Interpretation of Dreams.

They were doing well until at the last minute of class, when a high pitched yelp came from the back of the room.

Luciana was holding her hands over her mouth and her eyes were wide with horror. She turned whiter than her natural color (very very white) and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She was about to hit the floor but Ubaldo Piangi caught her as she fell back.

"Erik," Ms. Kay gasped, "What happened?"

"She fell."

Ms. Kay quickly had Piangi rush her to the nurse's office.

Christine studied Erik, and he looked calm as ever. He went back to copying what was on the board and didn't look up again.

The bell rang just in time for Ubaldo to race back to class to get his books. He was a chubby, short kid, and all that running caused him to sweat and pant like he just gave birth. Christine met him at the door. "Did she tell you what happened?"

Ubaldo shook his head. "No (gasp) she was out. Damn, I'm winded."

"Did you hear anything?"

"Oh yeah (gasp), when she was conscious, (gasp) she wouldn't shut up. All I heard the entire class was 'take off your mask. Take off your mask!'"

"And?"

"And then towards the end (gasp) I wasn't paying a attention. But she shut up for a second. And when I looked up, she was falling outta her chair."

Christine thanked Ubaldo, but not before a brute hand struck him on the shoulder and a thick voice cried out, "You traitor!! How dare you carry that little tramp out?"

"What?" Ubaldo caught Carlotta's Giudicelli hand. "Ms. Kay made me do it!"

"Yeah right. I saw the way you were looking at her." Carlotta spat angrily. "You and I are so over."

"Sorry, I gotta go, Christine," Ubaldo grabbed his books and ran after Carlotta, yelling "Carla—(gasp) Wait! I'm sorry!"

Christine saw that everyone had gone…and it was time for lunch. She wasn't very hungry. What just happened didn't sit well with her, no matter how much she despised the little Italian. She was no detective, but she knew he had something to do with it. Soon, she would confront him. Christine looked at her watch. Very soon.