Thank you, for the kind reviews. This chapter is form Christine's POV.
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"So how was the date?" Carlotta asks me as soon as she sees me walking through the doors of the school.
Let's see Raoul picked me up at about seven thirtyish in this sexy little sports car. Not the one he drove to school I might add. We had dinner at this little Italian restaurant called Tavern In The Park. Very cute I think for a first date. It was so romantic, candle lit dinner with classical music playing softly in the background. He paid obviously, then we went to catch a movie but we really didn't watch too much of it. What? Raoul was ridiculously good looking, more so then normal last night.
"It was a really nice date." I emphasize on the word nice.
Carlotta smirks at me, "You slut. What happened?"
We walk down the hall, "Nothing like that but there some serious-"
"Hey babe!" Raoul shouts as Billy and him walk over to us. He grabs my hips and pulls me in for a kiss. From the corner of my eye I see Carlotta give me a devious smile. The first bell rings. Shit!
I pull away slightly, "My class is on the other side of the building-"
"Aww come on sweetie just stay a little longer, besides it's only the second day the teacher won't mark you down." Raoul winks at me… I stay. "Did you tell them about our date?"
I smile up at him, "Yes I was starting to."
He looks over at Carlotta then back at me, "This Friday do you want see another movie?"
The second bell rings. Fuck! "Hey I have to go to class now, tell me what you want to do later."
The three of them walk off to class, which is justdown the hall. Damn it, I walk quickly to the other side of the school then go up the stairs. Which room was it? 203 or 205, shit! The third bell rings. 203, its 203! As graceful as I can be I walk in trying not appear frazzled by being late.
"Miss. Daae your late!", Miss. Ross announces. Thanks for the update, stupid bitch.
Come up with an excuse. "I got lost-"
"No matter, you're still late my dear." What happened to the nice little mousy teacher she was yesterday. "Take your seat, please."
I move between desks and see that Erik guy looking at me. The mask is weird, an expressionless face… nothing. No wonder he's known as the freak around here. "What are you looking at?" I whisper harshly.
"A girl who's late." He whispers back. The tone of his voice suggests that maybe he's smirking?
"Freak.", I hiss. He looks away…
Miss. Ross picks up a book from the pile on her desk and holds it up. "All right class we're going to start Othello by William Shakespeare as you all know." Oh, joy. She passes out a number of books to the people in the front of each row; they take a book and pass it back. "Please put your name on the inside cover and the number of this class room two-zero-three."
I hold out to the left side a copy of Othello but that guy isn't taking it. What the fuck? I turn back to face him and drop the book on his desk. He looks at it, then at Miss. Ross. "Excuse me but I have a copy of this at my house, Miss. Ross" He calls out. She looks at him in surprise. "Alright then just pass that one back. Make sure though that you bring yours everyday until were done." Erik nods his head in response.
I want to see his hands again but they're under the desk. "Give me the book." He shifts a little and brings his hand up… its covered with the sleeve of his sweat jacket. Carefully he pushes the book towards me and I stare at his cautious movements… strange. I take it back and pass it up. Miss. Ross goes on and on about Othello. The love, the passion, the deceit; Othello coming to an English class near you. Someone save me! The bell rings just as I'm about to cry from boredom. Erik brushes past me as I stand. What the hell? I told him yesterday to stay away from me but before I can say anything he's out the door.
The next class is… is… is math. That's the class with the little man that yells… a lot. I go downstairs and walk in. Erik is there in the back taking out some paper. The bell goes off again but I'm not late this time. The little Mr. Sark shouts. "Alright class, take out your homework!" What? Raising my hand, "We had homework?"
"Yes, why wouldn't there be any." He's not asking a question and I know he's so not going to drop this, "I told you yesterday that if you don't finish the work in class then it's for homework. Now what's your excuse?"
I had super hot date. No, that won't work. "I didn't understand it."
"Well, then come back after school." I nod my head yes. Well I don't want him to go crazy on me. The class drags on but I do try to listen. The last thing I want is to do is spend more time with him then necessary. The bell rings, "Now don't forget to come back." Stark yells just as I'm about to leave the class. Right got it. Shut up now…
Gym time. Yeah! No, I hate gym. It sucks having to run or play a stupid sport all the while having some meat head teacher screaming about how your not doing it right and to make matters worse I have it at that part of the day. You know the time, where it's going to be noon and you know because it's getting warmer. Then you do some sort of physical activity for 30 minutes. I'm sorry but when I work out I do it in an air-conditioned room and then I shower, never walking around all smelly… Besides my hair gets frizzy.
I change for gym since Mr. Nell made that loud and clear yesterday. While waiting for the teacher to come to the gymnasium, I look around and see no one I can talk to. No one interesting… Then again this girl is doing some serious stretching. She keeps lifting one leg above her head and then reaches for it with one of her hands. I haven't seen anything like that since-
She seems cool. I've seen her around before maybe she's in one of my classes. Walking over to her I notice that she's about my height 5'6 and has light brown hair. "Where did you learn to do that?" I can't help but ask, I'm curious; might end up being good gossip at lunch today.
She stops and looks over at me, I notice her looks rather petite despite her height. "Ballet class."
"Do we have classes together?" She thinks for a minute. "Yeah, cooking. Your Christine-Christine Daae right, I'm Meg Giry."
"That's right…so where do you train?" I wonder.
"At the Venus Dance Academy… Are you new here?" She asks as she fixes her ponytail.
"Yeah I just came from New York over the summer."
A big smile comes across her face. "Really that's where I used to live… well until I was one but my mom used to work at the Metropolitan Opera." There is a hint of pride in her voice.
I wonder if dad knew her. Aunt Charlotte has an old book of contacts from my dad when he worked there. They might have worked together at one point but I don't know, he only worked there for a year or two. "Where does your mom work now?"
"Oh, at the Venus Dance Academy as a teacher." Meg smiles again.
"What's your mom's name?"
She fixes her ponytail again. I think it's nervous habit. "Antoinette Giry."
I glance at my nails noticing I need to get a manicure when I think of something. "Do you have Mr. Sark?"
Her eyes become narrow with annoyance. "Yes, I had him last year for geometry. He's the worst."
I nod my head, "Yeah, I know he's such a pain in the ass."
"Wait until later in the year for his mid-term he puts in equations that he doesn't even teach." Meg makes a sound of being agitation. "I was so close to failing, you have no idea. His teaching style sucks."
Our gym teacher Mr. Nell comes in blowing his whistle, he's ten minutes late. "Alright people line up in your spots. Let's line up and head outside. We're just going to walk around the track." Meg and I move to the double doors and continue on with our conversation.
"I know he writes down the formulas but doesn't explain it. I end up zoning out because he's so boring… That reminds me I have to see him after school."
She rolls her eyes. "Good luck with that. Sark is only going to confuse you more. I ended up having to get a tutor, he was really great though"
Hopefully I wont need a tutor. "Who was he?"
She's a little startled by my question. "Oh, um… Erik Devereux-
"You mean the guy with the mask." This wasn't a question.
Meg reaches for her hair fixing an un-messy ponytail. Her answer is quick, trying to defend herself for hanging out with someone like him. "My mom works with Nancy, his foster mom." He has a foster mom? No, parents.
Meg goes on, "When she found out I was failing, she told my mom that he tutors. So we were able to work out a schedule… he wasn't that expensive… he usually charges fifty an hour but he only charged me thirty-
I raise an eyebrow. "What did you do for him?"
Shaking her head and making a face of being disturbed by the innuendo I just made. "Nothing, it's just that my mom is friends with Nancy and we all know each other… sort of."
This turned out to be a very interesting conversation. I don't think I'll tell the guys at lunch about this though; I wonder what happened to his real parents?
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Copyright © 2008 A. Ibarra All Rights Reserved
See I put a drop of compassion in Christine's heart.
I don't know who's POV I'm going with in the next chapter. Leaning towards Erik's but I'm not sure yet. Anyway thanks again for the reviews.
