(A/N: Well, I'm finally updating! I'm so, so sorry about how long it's been taking me to update lately. As soon as the play was over, we started two big English projects, and then we did this History project, and an interview project for Business Seminar…All in the course of a week! These are just excuses, though. I should have tried harder to update. Sorry, guys!)

Chapter Ten: Angel or Phantom?

Madame Giry only half paid attention for the rest of practice that day. She had a far-away look in her eye, as if thinking to herself, and would occasionally scowl and shake her head.

To the ballet's utmost surprise, she even dismissed early. M. Reyer was forced to dismiss early as well, for it was hard to practice with the ballet girls gone.

Meg waited for Christine to catch up with her.

As she suspected, the first thing out of her friend's mouth was, "What has gotten into you mother! I never thought that she'd dismiss early!"

Meg shrugged and used her prepared lie. "I think she's not feeling well. A headache, or something of the sort, I suppose." she grinned, "Hey, I'm not complaining! Four hours early… "

Christine smiled. "What are you going to do?"

Meg gave her a sheepish-looking half-grin. "Well… Some of the girls were going looking for the Phantom. I thought I would, too."

Christine raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "And what happens if you actually find the Phantom?"

Meg realized that she hadn't really thought of that before. "Um… We scream and run?"
Christine rolled her eyes in amusement, shaking her head at her friend. "What a sincere waste of time."

Meg shrugged, not to be put down. "Well what are you doing, Miss Too-Proper-To-Have-Fun?"
"I'm not too proper to have fun! I'm just not going looking for a maniac!"

"You didn't answer my question."

Christine stopped and hesitated. "I…I don't know. I think I might…you know…hang around my room for a bit. Maybe I can sing for a while, or perhaps I'll catch up on some sleep."

It was Meg's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Well, maybe we're insane, or wasting our time, but at least we're not boring."

"I'm not boring!"

"You're planning on spending your only free time singing! We did that all day long!"

"Well I… I…" Christine stuttered.

And then Meg knew.

"Don't worry about it, Christine. Forget I said anything." They had reached Christine's dressing room, and Meg departed. Halfway down the hallway though, she stopped. "Oh, and Christine?"

Her friend stuck her head out of the doorway. "What is it?"

"Say hello to Erik for me."

Meg smiled prettily, then quickly turned the corner of the hallway and was gone.

xxxxx

Christine stared after her friend. So, she had caught onto her plans.

She sighed. Oh, well, she could only hope that her angel wouldn't be angry for telling Meg his name…

xxxxx

The girls all gathered together with lighted candles to make the whole search more dramatic. Even Meg had to laugh at the lunacy of it. Unfortunately, she had an announcement to make…

"You guys, I can't come with you on the search for the Phantom tonight. I really wanted to, but I think I'm catching the same cold Maman has. Sorry."

"Aww, Meg!" Little Jammes whined, "You're our expert on him!"

Meg grinned. "I don't know anymore than you do! Anyway, have fun you guys."

"Goodnight, Meg."

Meg waved goodnight back, then made towards the corridor her room was in. When she was sure that her friends had seen her moving in that direction, and that she was now out of sight, Meg turned and headed for her mother's rooms.

She wasn't exactly sure if her mother would be there, but it was worth a shot.

Meg stopped at Madame Giry's door and placed her ear against it.

She gasped inaudibly as she heard her mother's voice… and someone else's. She was talking to someone! The voice was definitely male, but very beautiful. She tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but could only catch little bits of it.

"…didn't have a choice…wanted to help…couldn't get out of it…"

She heard her mother chuckle darkly. "…couldn't get out of it?...shouldn't have started in the first place!...Now this, on top of… I can't believe you… pretending to be …" Meg strained her ears, "…ghost, angel…what next! Some kind of demon or monster…"

There was a long pause in the conversation, then her mother's voice again.

"…Erik, no! … didn't mean… don't…"

Then there was silence. Meg cracked open the door to see her mother sitting at her desk, back to the door.

She was alone.

The ballerina stayed there for a moment longer, then ran to her room to work things out.

xxxxx

Meg sat down on her bed and rubbed her forehead, thinking. What a confusing conversation! To work this one out, she started with the most surprising thing she had heard that made sense to her. The man her mother was talking to was named Erik.
Erik was Christine's 'Angel.' Meg was almost sure of it.

It was odd, though, he hadn't even left the room, and yet her mother had been alone when she had looked in! It was as if he had vanished into thin air!

…vanished into thin air…

Meg gasped as something in her mind clicked. What was it her mother had said? "…ghost, angel…what next!"

Ghost. Erik was the Opera Ghost!

Meg sat up with a clatter and ran all of the way to Christine's room.

xxxxx

Christine played with one of her curls. When her Angel hadn't come, she had found a book to read in an old chest by her dresser. She had thought about joining Meg on her "Phantom hunt," but then decided against it.

After all… he could turn up any time now…

The door was flung open, and Meg ran in.

Christine jumped, then saw who it was and smiled in relief. "What's wrong, Meg? Did you see the Phantom?"

Meg's reaction to the simple question was decidedly odd. Her eyes opened wide in shock, as if Christine had discovered an important secret. Then they cleared again, like she realized what was going on.

Christine sat up and frowned.

"What is it, Meg?"

"Oh, nothing! I just felt like saying hi. Oh, and I wanted to apologize for earlier. I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you said that you were visited by the Angel of Music."

Christine's expression got even more confused. "But Meg—"

"No, it was wrong of me, Christine. I was jealous."

"Jealous?"

Meg nodded, looking ashamed. "Not everyone is visited by an Angel, Christine. You're really lucky."

Christine paused, and then stood and went over to her friend. "I know I am. It's okay, Meg, I would have been jealous, too. I acted selfishly today, and I shouldn't have yelled at you. Am I forgiven?"

Meg smiled weakly. "Only if I am."

xxxxx

Meg felt awful about deceiving her friend even more, but she was certain that Christine wouldn't believe the truth. After all, she didn't even believe in the Opera Ghost.

When Meg thought about it herself, she had to admit that she hadn't even really believed in the ghost.

Not until now.

Now, everything had changed. The Ghost was real, she was sure of it… and he was pretending to be an Angel.

(A/N: Aha! Perhaps Little Giry knew more than we thought! Lol, anyway, the next update will be soon. Tomorrow is my last day of school, and then we're out for spring break. This means I'll have a long bit of free time on my hands… I can update! Thank you all for being so patient with me.)

­- Hilary -