it was a thought.
# Part Eleven:
The performance was going to be played tonight; Lark could feel the buzzing excitement echo around the theatre and its people. She was working now, cleaning the opera house was pretty hard, but nothing she couldn't handle. Lark grimaced as she rung out her rag; she was polishing the steps, the stink of boot polish filled the air making her nose wrinkle in distaste. The only thing else that was so annoying about it was that she would have to do the same thing after the performance and not many people cleaned their shoes before coming in.
As she scrubbed Lark's mind drifted back to Erik. She hadn't seen him again yet, but she got the feeling he was still watching; especially when she was cleaning her old room. The room that he didn't want anyone going in, but she had too; it was part of her job to clean the rooms, used or unused. She had avoided the mirror as much as she could, in case he was watching. There were a few times that Lark had thought to have seen him, especially in the rafters, but then when she tried to look again he would be gone. Music floated up to reach her ears and the girl smiled, it was rehearsal time for the ballerinas, and Meg would be doing the roll of the ballet.
'Too bad I can't watch' Lark thought sadly as she finished the steps; gathering up her bucket of polish and her rag she put them away along with the other mops. She rubbed her fingers gently; scrubbing steps and floors all day on your knees was hard on the hand muscles. She was going to need to build up some calluses here and there if she didn't want to have raw skin.
One of the ladies that mopped the floors nodded to the girl, "Good work, boy. You're better than I thought." Lark bowed her head appreciatively then headed off to her room; yes, everyone other than Meg and Madame Giry thought she was a boy; her guise was rather excellent and her short hair helped.
Glancing up automatically into the rafters as she passed in the hallways Lark could've sworn she saw a cape and a flash of white as she looked; she was always checking to see if she could spot him, though Lark didn't know what she'd do if she did get a glimpse of him. "Curiosity killed the cat, Lark." She scolded herself, and then smiled adding, "But satisfaction brought it back." Her smile faded as her thoughts went back on topic.
But why didn't he want anyone to see him? He had even flinched away when she had asked if he was Erik, his own name. He reminded her so much of…who?
"You can watch from here, I trust, without getting in the way, right?" Meg asked Lark, placing the girl behind a curtain near the stage. "You can see the play better if you stay here, just push aside the curtain to see, ok?" Lark nodded and thanked her for finding her a spot so she could watch from side view. As Meg walked off, muttering lines, Lark peered into the crowd amazed at how many people came. 'This should be a really good play,' the girl thought excitedly, 'and I get to watch from the actual stage!' Looking up into the boxes, Lark could see very important people in elegant gowns and suits. The ladies jewelry was very pretty, some wore diamonds so bright, they gave off little flickers of light.
All the boxes were filled that evening, except for one that the manager wouldn't sell; box five straight across from where the girl was standing. A subtle flash of something white drew Lark's eyes up to the box. She felt her mouth drop open, in the shadows of the box a dark figure sat impatiently for the play to start. The thing that caught Lark's eye was the white mask covering the man's face.
Why he was coming to watch the play, he couldn't guess; though he had gotten frustrated with working and he was quite bored. Erik fidgeted slightly; he knew he should've come in later so he wouldn't have to wait. Looking around cautiously he made sure that no one could see him from another box or from the stage.
The last thing Erik needed was publicity of the return of the Phantom of the Opera. He smirked, amused; it would be all over the papers that he had returned if he showed himself now before all these people.
Looking down at the stage he noticed a small figure hidden by a curtain near the corner across from him. It looked like a boy mostly, but the face was oddly familiar. Cocking his head Erik could see that it was that was indeed the girl, Lark. 'The girl who dresses like a boy,' he thought giving her a glare in case she could see him.
The girl's head ducked down, she had seen him in the box. He put one of his fingers against his masked lips, signing for Lark to be silent; the child nodded furiously and looked determinedly at the stage as the music began and dancers swirled across the stage. Smirking, Erik leaned back and watched the play.
Updated. XD
i think Erik would have stopped sulking from in his lair to watch a few performances. dont you agree?