Chapter Three – The Aria

Christina's POV

I was woken by my digital alarm clock at 8:30am in the morning, when I got downstairs I had my breakfast with dad in the kitchen. I could feel the excitement and nervousness building up inside me, it was worse than butterflies in the stomach. Dad told me not to worry and to take my time, his words helped to calm me a bit.
I scanned my wardrobe for something to help me make a good first impression for the people I was going to meet. The temperature had dropped a bit and I knew I was going to be inside a theatre all day so I decided not to dress for hot weather. I put on my black tights, denim skirt and a black top. Just as I putting on my black boots, mum came into my room in her dressing gown and gave me a kiss. "Good Luck, my Sweetheart" She said "Don't be nervous, just stay calm and show them what you can do." I smiled and nodded "I will Mum" She gave me another kiss then just before she left she gave my tatty braid a flick. "Don't forget to make your hair look lovely" we both laughed and she left.
I stood in front of my mirror, undid my braid and brushed out my long hair which had now gone wavy and beautiful. Then I grabbed my denim jacket and went downstairs to join dad in the hallway. Pretty soon we were walking side by side down the pavement towards the Opera House. When we reached the steps below the front entrance Dad put his arm round me "Ready, Superstar?" he asked and I nodded smiling.

We ascended the stairs and walked through the huge double doors. The front hall was massive you'd of thought it was a ballroom. There was a huge staircase and there were also many doors everywhere. We were greeted by a French woman called Carman Dubois with pinned up curled ebony hair who was sitting at the front desk. After telling her my name she called for manager. A few minutes later a man in a smart suit came striding towards us. "Ah, Monsieur De Chagny, My name is Laurent Pascal and I am manager of this opera house. I am delighted to meet you!" he shook my father's hand. He turned his smiling face towards me "And you must be young Christina?" he said holding out his hand. I nodded and shook his hand "It's nice to meet you Monsieur" I said. "If you would care to follow me, I will take you to meet everyone."

He led us down a long corridor with lots of pictures and posters on the wall. We came to a door that had a sign on it saying "Stage Left" when we walked through I knew at once that we were in the wings of the stage. On the stage itself there were quite a few things going on at once. In one corner there was a woman dressed in black, her dark brown hair in a Heidi and holding a walking cane. She was instructing a group of girls that looked around my age wearing white ballet dresses and white tights. In another corner there was a grey haired man wearing a brown suit, he was instructing a group of boys who also looked around my age, who were tap dancing in black tight jumpsuits. In the middle of the stage there was a crowd of men and ladies who were all singing in French. And all around these people there were others who were painting, moving and constructing sets and backdrops.
Monsieur Pascal walked forward and clapped his hands "May I have your attention please everyone!" he called. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to face him "I'm sure you've all heard that we were going to have a new girl joining us. Well it gives me great pleasure to introduce Miss Christina de Chagny!" As I walked to his side everyone clapped. Another smartly dressed man stepped forward "Lovely to meet you Mademoiselle. I am Jean-Andre Monnier, the show director." Lovely to meet you too" I said shaking his hand.
Then one of the ballet girls ran forward on her tippy toes with her long blonde hair flying behind her. "Wait a moment" She exclaimed "Are you related to Christine Daaé?!" I nodded and the girl squealed excitedly "That is so Amazing!" then she held out her hand "It's nice to meet you Christina! I'm Megan Gilson, but you can call me Meg" I shook her hand "It's Pleasure to meet you too Meg" I said smiling.

To my right I heard someone clear their throat and we both turn our heads. There standing at the opening to the wings is the strangest couple I've ever seen. The man was very big with pudgy arms and legs, his cheeks puffy and pink from drinking too much and almost bald with just a few bits of brown hair. He wore a large beige checked suit with a sandy coloured shirt and red tie. The woman was the same in size but she had red curly hair that was all pinned up on her head in what looked like a heart shape. She wore heavy makeup and was wearing a magenta coloured coat and round her neck she wore a scarf that looked like a skinned ginger cat. To me the man looked like a fat hippopotamus but the woman was more like a rhinoceros because her face looked more sharp and stern.
At the same moment I noticed the couple, all around me everyone except me and my father say "Singnora" and they all curtsied and bowed. Monsieur Pascal then stepped forward and said "Christina, allow me to introduce our leading soprano for the past five years. Singnora Rosetta Gabrielli and her husband Stefano" She strutted forward towards us and stared at me "You must be the new girl?" she said in a strong Italian accent. I nodded "Yes, I am" I said. She wrinkled her nose as if something repulsed her. I stared back confused. She held up one of her red gloved hands and said with a smile "Since you are new my dear I shall be blunt. Everyone in this theatre day and night, whenever I enter a room and whenever we meet you say "Singnora" and curtsy if you're a girl or bow if you're a boy." I curtsied and said "Singnora" she gave one nod and turned to the manager.

"Monsieur Pascal tell me what is going on." Monsieur Pascal nodded "Well I was just introducing Christina to everyone." He began but Meg's excited voice jumped in "Then we found out that she is the direct descendent of Christine Daaé! The greatest legendry opera singer that this theatre ever had! Can you believe it Singnora?!" The way Meg says it you'd think I was a celebrity. Rosetta however didn't smile she turned and walked to center stage and said "Christine Daaé may have been famous but she was not as well known or as talented as the great Prima Donna, Carlotta Giudicelli" Meg then replied, in a voice that to me is trying to sound brave but turns into a shout "Singnora, I don't want to sound rude but I do think you just criticized Christina's family. So I think you should show a little more respect. I mean just because you admire Carlotta doesn't mean that you have to criticize Christine's own granddaughter!" Rosetta winces to Meg's words. But Stefano walks forward and puts an arm round his wife to calm her. Meg turned back to face me and looks as if she is trying to hold back tears. "I'm sorry Christina. But Singnora here doesn't know half of anything about Christine Daaé. Plus she hasn't even heard you sing yet so pay no attention to her for now."

Monsieur Pascal and Monsieur Monnier took this moment to step forward "Meg, dear. I think that is enough now." said Monsieur Monnier putting his arm round her. "But you do have a point" said Monsieur Pascal turning to face me. "So Christina did you learn that song that we sent you?" he asks and I nod "Yes I know it off by heart, Monsieur" He patted my shoulder "Well then would you like to sing it for us right now?" I smiled and nodded. He gestured for me to go center stage. As I walk there everyone backs away giving me room. "Monsieur Renouf if you please!" Monsieur Monnier called down to the pit. A lean man with a mustache was sat at the piano in the pit began to play the intro to the song. I take a deep breath and I sing out.

(Christina)
Think of me
Think of me fondly
when we've said goodbye
Remember me, once in a while
Please promise me you'll try.
When you find
That once again you long
To take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought for me.

We never said our love was evergreen
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember
Stop and think of me.
Think of all the things
We've shared and seen
Don't think about the things
Which might have been.

Think of me
Think of me waking
Silent and resigned.
Imagine me
Trying too hard
To put you from my mind.
Recall those days
Look back on all those times
Think of the things we'll never do.
There will never be a day
When I won't think of you.

Author's POV

Everyone's attention was on the beautiful young woman who stands centre stage singing in such a beautiful operatic voice. Even all the crew, musicians and cleaners have stopped working to watch her. Each face has a different expression. The managers are surprised, Meg is enchanted, Gerard De Chagny is proud and Rosetta is blank.
However up in the rafters unseen by the men who controlled the drops was someone else. This someone, just like everyone else was watching Christina but the expression this person wears is completely amazed. Then in a silent unheard whisper he said "Can it be? Can it be Christine?"

Christina's POV

We never said our love was evergreen
Or as unchanging as the sea
But please promise me that sometimes
You will think of me!

When the song ended everyone was clapping loudly. I turned back round to face everyone and Meg and a few of the other ballet girls fluttered forward to congratulate me. It was then that I noticed that Rosetta wasn't clapping like the others she was only patting the fingers of her right hand on her left palm, still with no change to her sharp serious face. Stefano was clapping but very slowly. I turned to look at dad and noticed that he had been recording me on his camera, he almost looked like he was going to cry tears of joy.

"Brava! You sang that beautifully." Exclaimed Monsieur Monnier "You know that was the very song that you're great-great grandmother sang in her debut performance." Said Monsieur Pascal "And for a moment there I thought I'd gone back in time and was actually watching her when she first sang it." I'm speechless at this because I don't know what to say. "Now Miss de Changny we have something very special we'd like to offer you. On Saturday night we're going to have a performance where everyone is going to do a medley of their own talents. That means they can sing, dance or recite either in a group or duet or solo if they wish. So what I want to offer you is if you'd like to perform the song for us that night."
I couldn't believe it, I'd just arrived and already they wanted me to sing a song all alone on stage. It was like putting a simple fun runner into a long distance race without warning. But I had no reason to be scared because I sang all the time and it would be easy. Plus it would be a step higher up the ladder to my big dream of being a star. In reply to the question I smile and say "Yes, I would love to." All the ballet girls standing around me sequel in delight and clap their hands, including the other people on the stage.

I start to feel excitement building up inside me. That on Saturday night which is in four days I will be standing on this stage in a beautiful dress, prettily made up and singing the same song my great-great grandmother sang in her debut performance in this theatre many years ago.

The Song in this Chapter was

Think of Me – The Phantom of the Opera