Christine sang quietly to herself as she folded her clean clothes on her bed. Since her angel had started teaching her over three weeks ago, her heart felt uplifted. His voice, combined with her own, were constantly echoing in her mind and she just couldn't help but smile. As she hung her clothes up in her wardrobe, she noticed that Shantelle, and her two cronies had just entered the room.
"Oh I don't care" she thought to herself as she ignored their presence.
She wasn't going to let these three bullies get to her today. She just felt too happy. Lessons with her angel of music were getting better and better all the time until she barely recognised her own voice. As she placed the last bits of clothing into her wardrobe, she carried on singing her favourite aria, then casually walked by the three girls and left the dormitory.
"That girl does nothing but sing lately" Nicolette remarked to Shantelle
"I know" Shantelle huffed "She really likes the sound of her own voice"
"I don't" Elita hissed angrily
Hearing their spiteful discussion, Emilie, hung her last item of clothing in her wardrobe, walked up to the three girls and sighed
"Listen to you three, so jealous" she smiled sarcastically "I think Christine sounds lovely, and she is getting better and better each day. She sounds better than any of you three"
"Who asked you, little brat?" Nicolette stared menacingly at Emilie
"We are dancers, not singers" Elita wound a strand of her long blonde hair around her finger "It would do Christine well to remember that"
"Oh forget them nobodys" Shantelle chuckled to the other two "We all know that we have one important thing that precious Christine does not. Money"
"Well it makes up for the lack of talent" Meg called from the other side of the dormitory
"And how would you know talent?" Shantelle shot at Meg "You are only here because your mother is the ballet mistress"
"Please, why is there this need to argue so much?" Emilie shook her head "We are all here to work together"
"Only some of us shouldn't be here if talent was what really mattered " Shantelle cast another hateful glance at Meg, then left the room, swiftly followed by Elita and Nicolette.
Emilie noticed Meg's face fall in despair and immediately went over to her and put an arm around her shoulder
"Ignore them" she said firmly
"Do you think they are right?" Meg sniffed
"No, don't be silly. You have earned your place here Meg" Emilie smiled "You know your mother better than that. Only pure talent gains a place here."
"I do struggle sometimes" Meg frowned
"I struggle all the time" Emilie laughed "But I get there in the end and when I do, I think it all turns out rather well. I wouldn't be here otherwise"
"I just hate them Emmy" Meg looked angrily at where the girls had just stood "I don't know why my mother allows them to be here"
"Unfortunately, they are good dancers" Emilie shrugged "Just don't let them get to you"
"You are right" Meg wiped away her tears and smiled "Of course you are. But why were they in the dormitories anyway, they don't live here"
"They just like to spread a bit of happiness" Emilie rolled her eyes
"I wish they would spread happiness in front of an out of control horse and cart" Meg laughed
"Now now Meg, we mustn't stoop to their level" Emilie laughed and took Meg's hand and led her out of the dormitory "I need help with that last movement we were rehearsing"
"Alright" Meg giggled as the girls made their way to the stage
Glancing around to see that she was alone, Christine slipped into the Prima Donna's dressing room. It was only 11am and she was sure she would not be disturbed. Standing in front of the dressing room mirror, she folded out the last piece of music that the angel had given her to work on and smiled. She simply loved singing and her angel was motivating her so well. His compliments were as regular as his criticisms but Christine found that she was thriving on his criticisms. They gave her more of a determination to impress him, as she often did. This piece was also special, as he had told her that it was one he had composed himself and she did not want to let him down.
Softly she started to sing, feeling carried away by her own beautiful voice and her angel's music. It was so powerful, she felt like some kind of spell had been cast over her every time she sang it.
She was so engrossed with the music, that she didn't notice Madame Giry had entered the room, quietly behind her. As she opened her eyes, she gasped.
"Madame Giry, how long have you been there?"
"Long enough" Madame Giry's eyes were filled with a mixture of concern and admiration
"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be here" Christine quickly folded the piece of music and placed it back into her pocket
"Oh Christine, you sounded wonderful" Madame Giry walked over to Christine and embraced her "Truly wonderful"
"I……I have been practising" Christine felt awful about lying to the woman she had come to regard as a mother.
However, in each of the lessons, her angel had stressed to her how important it was that the lessons remained a secret. That seemed for the best as who would believe her anyway?
"Practising" Madame Giry walked over to the mirror and gazed through it, as it straining to see something
"Madame Giry, what is the…."
"Nothing child, nothing" Madame Giry laughed uncomfortably "Just a few more wrinkles that I hadn't noticed before, that's all"
Christine frowned. Madame Giry's complexion was as smooth as that of a young girl. Due to her dancing, Madame Giry had always looked well and healthy and the years had seemed to take no toll on her looks at all.
"I must go" Madame Giry walked towards the door, then turned back to Christine "Rehearsals in one hour remember"
"Of course" Christine smiled as Madame Giry left the room.
She wondered what had been wrong as Madame Giry's face had paled slightly at the mention of Christine practising and she had looked almost entranced as she had been gazing at the mirror. Well, to Christine it had looked as if she had been trying to gaze through the mirror. How odd.
Shaking her head, she decided to practise a while longer before the rehearsal. She reproduced the piece of music and, closing her eyes, resumed where she had left off and let herself get carried away in the song again.
"Well well well!" Shantelle and her two cronies burst in "What are you doing in here?"
"Getting delusions of grandeur?" Elita roared with laughter
"The dormitory's not good enough for you anymore?" Nicolette smirked
"I…I was just singing" Christine backed away
"We heard" Shantelle grimaced "That's all we hear lately. You never stop"
"I'm not causing any harm" Christine looked down "I just like to sing"
"And this is what you were singing?" Nicolette snatched the music out of her hands and handed it to Shantelle
"Y…Yes" Christine watched the music being handed over with dread.
"Well, we don't like to hear your whiny little voice" Shantelle tore the music up into little pieces and blew it into Christine's face "Maybe this will shut you up"
The three girls howled with laughter as they left the room, leaving Christine surrounded by what remained of her angel's music.
"Oh angel!" Christine collapsed to the ground, looking in despair at the pieces of music "I'm sorry. What will you think of me!"
She sobbed uncontrollably, gathering up the torn remains of her angel's composition. She had wanted to impress him and now all she had done was let him down and ruin his wonderful music.
"Please forgive me" she uttered
