*peeks from behind stage curtain* ummm, please don't kill me! I'm so so so so sorry for not updating my story in over like :-) half a year so I really want to say sorry about that before any of my readers possibly murder me with a Punjab lasso... Whhem, yeah I know I left you guys at a super climatic awful cliffhanger. And I'm really sorry, that was cruel of me. Umm so I won't be surprised if I don't get any reviews from now on but I feel like I owe it to myself and to my readers, so if your reading this right now that means that I have published it. So roses with black ribbons to all! Yea!
*unfortunately I do not own any of these tragic awesome characters, and they are all Gaston Leroux's*
Chapter 10: Envy, Good Luck Charms and yet another dinner invatation.
Juliet stared at Christine wth a mixture of rage, surprise and sadness as Christine continued to smile, and suddenly realised the difference between the both of them. Juliet glanced down at her grey commonors dress and the patches half heartedly sewn over the holes and drifted her gaze towards Christine once more. The difference between the two was that Christine was beautiful , while Juliet was not. The difference between the two was that Erik loved Christine-probably still does- while Juliet would never have a chance to proclaim her love for him, and knew he would probably reject her if she ever mustered up the courage to tell him.
"Madmoselle Juliet?" Christine's angelic voice broke her train of thought, and she sharply glanced up to see Christine's eyebrows knitted together in concern.
"What?" Juliet asked a bit too sharply, and muttered a small "sorry" before trying to awkwardly smooth down her frazzeled curls.
"Madmoselle Juliet I just wanted to ask if you would want to accompany me to dinner, since I am in Paris I wanted to visit a lovely resturaunt that my husband-the Vicomte de Chagny-showed me, and I have no one to go with but when I saw you singing I thought ' now there is someone who I can become great friends with!" She let out a soft tinkling laugh that reminded Juliet of wind chimes blowing in a breeze and she cringed.
Rage and envy bubbled up her throat and she surpressed the urge to snarl. Juliet had never disliked someone so immensely before on a first meeting before-well besides that sleazy fop from America, anyway. Oh what was his name? She had forgotten already, but who cares?! She has more pressing matters to deal with.-maybe it has to do with the fact that she knew this woman contributed to Erik's poor broken heart.
"Madmoselle Juliet?"Christine's sugar coated voice cut like a knife through her thoughts once more and she pretended to cough as she suppressed a growl. Erik's habits were starting to grow on her.
"Yes?" Juliet attempted to smile but was pretty sure it came out like more of a grimace.
"How about it? Would you accompany me to dinner? It would really make me happy!" Christine said, while holding out her hand, as if she wanted Juliet to shake it.
"I-i don't know Madame de Chagny-" Juliet started but was soon interuppted by Christine .
"Please, I insist , call me Christine!" She said in a bubbly voice and Juliet timidly bobbed her head as a meek "Yes ma'am"
Christine gazed hopefully into Juliet's eyes and put up her hands as if she was begging for mercy. "Please, I feel like we could become great friends!"
Juliet looked away, refusing to meet her gaze, feeling that if she were to look into those stupidly pretty blue orbs that Christine would know. Know all about Juliet's awful history and unlimited amount of hate that Juliet held for Christine in the five minutes that she had talked to her.
"W-well, you see the life of a theater seamstress is very busy and with all the upcoming operas and all that. And if I don't finish this dress in two days the Prima Donna will have my head!" Juliet felt like an injured dog that had been cornered, but still attempted to bark out a weak laugh.
"Oh come now! I'm sure the managers will let you take a few days off, after all you did just make them lots of money by providing a full house!" Christine gushed and stepped closer, and Juliet could now smell the expensive fragrance of perfume that wafted around her. It made her want to gag. Juliet edged back, attempting to make space between them, while fidgeting with her grey frilled dress. Christine held her hand in hers and gave her a warm-but to Juliet,- a mocking grin, and said,
"I won't take no for an answer, and there will be a carriage waiting for you at the front steps of the opera house with the initial 'C' at eight o'clock! I'll see you then! Thanks for accepting m propasal." And with that Christine trotted off, her beautiful Vicomtess dress swishing on the marble floor behind her.
Once Juliet was sure that Christine had exited the building and no one was inside the lobby, Juliet sunk to the floor, resting her back on one of the numerous white marble pillars, letting her drab grey dress billow around her on the ground like smoke, and rested her head in her hands. And sighed. But then in her minds eye she saw a glimpse of Erik and wondered what he would say to her if he saw her in this state.
"Keep your chin up, don't you know every time I see you down, it is like seeing the very hearts of angels being ripped out of their chests. It pains me to see you down. So just remember, these people that you live amongst, they all pale in comparison next to you. They all seem like dull burnt out candles, next to your fiery sun."
The thought made her smile, but then quickly turned to a grimace as she thought, "Yea, he would say that. If he was madly in love with me." Her thoughts turned to Christine and she angrily stood up, stomping her heeled boots onto the fragile tiles. "Whatever." She grumbled and made her way toward the pair of golden twin staircases. She was going to see Erik. To Hell with Christine De Champagne or whatever her name was, AND her stupid dinner request. Right now the only thing that mattered was stitching up her compainions broken heart.
(On the Grand Staircase)
Juliet flitted up the stairs with a new spring in her step and a silly grin she just couldn't pull off her face. She whistled happily as she walked, twisting and turning through the endless labyrinth that was her home, and finally made her way to her door and placed her pale hand on the cool metal doorknob and stepped into her room. But just as she was about to shout to Erik, she then let her smoke colored eyes fall on a figure lounging on her battered love seat.
"Who. The HELL ARE YOU?!" She yelled. And in a mixture of fear and shock she slammed the door behind her, making the walls shudder.
But instead of getting an answer to her rather loudy stated question all she got was a smug chuckle. "My, my don't you have a dirty mouth?" The figure-which she now understood to be a man- stood up from her rickety sofa and bowed before her, making his shoulder length, honey colored hair fall in wavy wisps. Juliet grabbed a black parasol from the corner of her quaint room and held it up as someone would hold up a baseball bat.
"I don't take it well to find strangers lounging in my room like they own the place. So answer my question. If you would be so kind." She snapped. And the pretty boy chuckled some more before returning to his full height and flashing a smile that would warm any woman's heart. Except for hers.
"Ah, yes, yes, of course! I am the Vicomte Raoul De Chagny. It is-well I would like to say that it has been lovely to meet you-but then I'd be lying." The vicomte laughed and Juliet crossed her arms over her chest. And "harrumphed" in annoyance. If the young Vicomte was going to push her buttons, then she would push his.
"Oh so your the Vicomte De Champagne!" Juliet exclaimed in faux excitement before covering her mouth with her hand, pretending to look abashed. "I mean, Chagny..."
"Do you know who I am? I am the Vicomte Raoul De Chagny! I'm one of the richest people in France, not that a commoner like you would know!" He looked her up and down in disgust and sneered, but Juliet remained undeterred. In fact she was beginning to be a bit amused, and reminded herself to tell this to Erik later when he was more settled.
"No of course not. BecausI am just too simple and too poor to pay any attention to the celeberites because I'm too concerned about having a roof over my head." Juliet retorted.
"Now tell me what you are doing here before I kick you in the balls." He sneered at her lewd remark and straightened out his suit and slicked back his hair.
"I hear that you are going to a dinner date with my lovely wife, Christine De Chagny." He said his wife's name with an air of a mixture of smug content and possessiveness, which made Juliet want to hurl where she stood.
"Yes, and?" Juliet replied impatiently as she began tapping her foot on the floorboards. She needed to see Erik. And quick before he did something that he would regret. Like break his piano for instance.
"Tonight is our wedding anniversary, and I would like you to go to this dress shop and pick up a dress for her under the name of Chagny, at this address." He took out a slip of paper from his waistcoat pocket and handed it to her. "Also, go to the Angel's Cakery and pick up a chocalote cream pie. Here is the money for it, and when you meet Christine at the restaurant give her this and tell her sorry and I couldn't make it because of a business trip." He handed her a handful of francs and shoved a card and bouqet into her arms.
"Woah, woah, whoah. Why in the HELL do you think I'm going to do this? To deliver these extravagant gifts to a woman I've only talked to for five minutes, and her husband, who is making me do this like some errand boy and frankly who I think is the biggest asshole one the planet!"
Raoul sighed and stuck his hand-for what seemed like the millionth time since she had met him-into his coat pocket and pulled out a huge stack of francs and handed it to her. "God, you commoners are all the same money money money. That's all you people think about isn't it?" He sighed.
"You think I'm some greedy scum and that money is my main objecive in life?" She exclaimed. "Then you monsieur, are wrong." She flung the francs back at his chest. "Now, out." She pointed at the door and said "I have some things to do." Juliet opened the door without breaking eye contact, and with her other hand attempts to shove him out.
But instead of getting thrown out, like a drunk in a pub, he grabbed her arm and said with a hopeful, boy like expression, "Then could you do it for me as a well mannered Parisian?"
Juliet wrenched back her arm and replied stiffly "According to you all commoners like me are not 'well manners Parisians.'"
And then he angrily snapped, "Listen you stupid brat! I have some friends in very high places and we could dig up so much dirt on you you would be the scandal of the decade!"
Juliet stared at him in shock. Raoul with a smug smirk on his face and Juliet's eyes wide and her jaw dropped.
"How about it?" He asked. And then there was silence. And then, Juliet gave a terse nod. "There that wasn't that bad, was it?" He stepped out into the hallway and left with a smile and a wink and slowly the door creaked shut behind him.
Juliet sat one her sofa next to the francs, and bouquet and glared at them in disgust. She said to herself. "Mon Dieu, who goes through that much trouble to insist on someone running an errand for them?"
And then single thought entered her mind that erased all notions of dinner invations and errands. Erik. The single person on the entire face of the Earth that probably even remotely cared for her. And she was hell bent on showing him that she cared for him too.
Juliet jumped from the couch and faced the gold lined mirror and felt for the hidden latch. She smiled at the thought of seeing him, feeling as if she hadn't seen him in forevever. Juliet grinned as she felt the latch and she pressed down. Waiting for the sound of sweet release.
After a minute she frowned.
Her eyebrow raised as she pressed it again. And again. Still nothing.
She growled and slammed her palm upon the cool glass. "Erik!" She angrily muttered. She banged her hands on the mirror repeatedly until they stung. Panic clawed at her throat as she thought of different scenerios running through her mind.
She took her parasol and impatiently swung at the fragile glass, yelling, "Open up God dammit!" And then the glass busted like an explosion was set off on the other side. Juliet kicked away the glass that surrounded the golden frame and took a deep breath taking in the air coming from the secret passageway; Feeling as if she were about to step into a new world.
"About time." She muttered. And stepped through the mirror, careful not to let her dress rip on the glass shards.
(In Erik's Lair)
Juliet peeked through the door of Erik's home. Finding it still in shambles as it was just moments before. She heard the soft tinkling sound and saw Ayesha crouched towards Juliet and she happily scooped her into her arms.
"There's my pretty kitty!" Juliet quietly cooed, and stepped further into her friend's cold domain.
"Umm... Erik?" Are you in here?" Juliet knew her question was a stupid question. She could feel his prescence lingering around her and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
Suddenly she heard a loud crash from the other room and a soft melodious groan. Julit could faintly hear the words "Oh, mon Ange..." and Juliet knew instantly who Erik was talking about.
Christine.
Juliet drew in a deep breath and ventured deeper into the room, her heels making a soft clacking sound on the stone. "Erik, where are you?" Juliet called out, and heard her voice tremble.
No answer.
And then came the response, so soft that it sounded as if someone was whispering into Juliet's ear. "Inside your mind..." the voice sang.
She whirled around, expecting to find Erik lurking in the shadows behind her. But there was nothing but air
She felt as if she was going crazy.
But that's what you get for befriending a ventriloquist.
Juliet turned a corner, refusing to be undeterred.
She ended up in the music room. Music sheets had been scattered upon the Persian rug and a waxy white and black mess flooded the piano, with tipped over candleabras smashed in one corner of the room.
And then she felt herself break into a relived smile as her grey eyes fell upon a lone figure in the middle of all the chaos.
"Erik!" She whispered happily.
His eyes were downcast, facing the ground, and his hair looked disheveled, while his black coat lay askew on the sofa.
Slowly, realizing that Erik was refusing to look at her, Juliet's eyes traveled downward to his arms and she gasped, her arms widened in shock.
In his hands were his precious violin and in the other was a needle. Filled with morphine; she realized.
"No Erik! You can't!" She shrieked and ran towards him, reaching out to grab the tiny needle.
Her hand was just about to enclose around it, when she felt Erik's cool hand grip her wrist, and wrench her back. In the corner of her eye she saw the violin drop from his grasp, and thankfully landed unharmed on the love seat behind them. On the inside she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking if Erik saw his instruments damaged his heart would break.
"What do you think you are doing, my meddlesome companion?" He spat, his fingers began tightening their grip, but she fought the urge to wince in pain.
Juliet stared into his eyes, and saw rage flash in the molten gold orbs. "Trying to prevent something that you will regret later on." She replied in the calmest tone she could muster.
Her eyes drifted over his face and she suppressed the urge to sob as she saw claw marks on the unmasked side of his face.
"You have no idea what want!" Erik snarled. And then slowly his anger ebbed away, and were replaced by sadness. And she saw a tear roll down his cheek and become red as it drifted down the cuts on his face.
And then slowly his anger ebbed away and was replaced by sadneses. slowly, his grip on the needle loosened and it dropped onto the floor with a satisfying thump.
He gave a howl of despair and collapsed onto the black piano bench, his elbows slamming into the paino keys, making a jarring sound that pierced Juliet's ears. She barely flinched.
After a minute of silence of watching him sob she whispered, "I think I do know what you want." Juliet placed a soft hesitant hand on his back, and felt I'm instantly flinch.
"You want to be loved by your angel don't you?" She murmured so softly that it was almost like she hasn't even meant to say it.
But of course he heard it. Slowly he lifted his head from his hands and mustered up some of the lasts bits of his sarcasm and said and gave her a wry smile. "how did you find out?"
Juliet smiled, a tear brimming at the edges of her eyes. And said, "I'm not an idiot Erik, I can price things together with my wonderful snooping skills, didn't you know?"
He didn't say anything but she could see the slight upturn of his mouth which made her feel a hundred times lighter.
Slowly she stepped toward the bench and sat next to his lean frame, and she breathed a sigh of relief as he didn't tell her to go away.
After a moment of silence between the two she softly murmured, "I met her you know, Christine. Your angel."
At the second Christine's name was uttered Erik's body seized up and he gave a shuddering breath. He stood up abruptly and faced the fire.
"She was my angel, Juliet! My only hope for love... but then that stupid insolent fop of a boy stole her! He defiled her and bonded her to him!" He snarled angrily. Juliet felt angry at herself for feeling jealous at a time like this. But she couldn't help it, at the mention of Christine being his angel, she felt her heart crack.
"Before I met her I had given up all notions of love, but then I saw her and I heard her voice... and it was like listening to an angel, have you ever felt that way Juliet?" He asked, not really expecting an answer, but in her head Juliet silently murmured "yes..." before Erik continued.
"And then, I had dared to hope... but then that cursed boy stole her away from me!" He growled, throwing a candleabra into the fire. The flame enlarged and crackled, flecks wafting into the air. "If I didn't have this monstrous face... maybe...just maybe..." he whispered, gazing into the distance.
"Your face, isn't important Erik." Juliet insisted.
Erik whirled to face her, his eyes burning with anger. "How would you know?! All people care about when they meet someone is their face and money. They are all the same..." he snarled.
"And what about me?" Juliet took a brave leap of faith and spoke with her trembling lips.
There was a moment of silence and then a broken grin slowly crossed his mouth. "You... you are my Good Luck Charm, it seems like, like almost as if the universe has decided to give me a break, I can finally compose and almost feel like a normal human being... and you are my only friend, who I can trust... yes, that's it..." he said, while his eyes slowly fluttered shut.
Juliet gazed at him, and took a spot across from him, on the piano bench. A smile playing on her lips, as she heard Erik's words bounce around in her head. And even though Erik had called Christine 'his Angel' at least she knew she meant something to him.
"You know, I met Christine's... ahem...Husband, and I accidently called him the Vicomte De Champagne!" She snickered, trying to lighten the mood, as she thought of the Vicomte's outlandish reaction.
Then came the sound of Erik's laughter. Deep rich and meledious, and Juliet smiled as she noticed that it wasn't one of his regular dry chuckles or mischevious snickers. He was bent over clutching his lean frame. "And, and how did the fop react to that?!" He chuckled.
Juliet grinned back and redid her impersonation of the young golden haired brat, and by the end had Erik in tears. Making him forget about Christine and his heart break. Well at least momentarily.
And in that moment, everything seemed perfect.
And in that moment things seemed like they could only get better.
Little did she knew that she was dead wrong.
This was just the calm before the storm.
Dun dun dun! How'd ya like it? Or did you hate it? Please review, even though I know that it's been a long time since I updated, but I hope this satisfies you until next time. And I promise as a new year resolution that I will update way way way more often then I was doing last year! I luv you all and I will promise to update very soon I have some major plot twists coming up! Roses with black ribbons to all who review and follow!