Here it is! The moment you've been waiting for! Here it is! You know exactly what's in store! (Lyrics from Hunchback of Notre Dame)
So yea, that's basically it. This chapter is quite a bit shorter than the others. I'm sorry, just exhausted right now. Please Review as always and ENJOY!
Gabriella POV
"Phantom, I love you" I told him. His eyes looked at me, and I reached up and touched his face "You love me?" he asked. I nodded "More than anything" I told him. I stepped away from me "Y... You're a naive little child. You don't know what you want" he stammered, he didn't believe me. I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his neck "I know exactly what I want" I told him. Then I did the only thing I could think of to make him believe me.
I leaned in and kissed him, as passionately and lovingly as I could muster. At first he didn't return it. But when I pulled away to catch my breath he dove back in and kissed me back. We stood, looking into each others eyes, for I don't know how long. He stroked my cheek "You... You love me" he said, reassuring himself it was real. I nodded and kissed him again, hoping that would answer his question.
I wrapped his arms around my waist, and pulled my closer to him. I went right up against him and he wrapped his cloak around us. "Are we gonna stay on he roof all day?" I asked him. He shook his head "No, we'll go to my lair. But you must change first", he grabbed my wrist and led me back down the the dormitories. I picked out a dress, I knew he was watching me. I smiled a little and put on a bit of a show for him as I undid my dress. But when I actually took it off I turned my back to him.
I pulled on a clean dress, it was pretty plain, purple with a little lace on the sleeves. I took his hand and he began leading me down to his lair "What happened to you?" he asked me curiously. I looked at him "What?" I asked. He looked at me "There's a large scar on your back. Where did it come from" he asked me again. "Oh. I got that in a... riding accident" I told him, blushing a little. We got into the boat and he began to push us along "Tell me about it".
"Well, I was riding one of our ponies, and he went under a tree that was too low. The branch left that mark on my back when we squeezed under it. Ripped one of my favorite dresses too" I told him. It was a pretty large scar, I could understand why he would be curious. It ran from the bottom of my right shoulder blade all the way to the top of my left hip. It had not been a fun thing when it was healing, it didn't get stitched or anything, so it scabbed really bad. Quite annoying under a corset.
We reached his lair and he helped me out. He took me over to his organ "Sing for me" he said. I did exactly as he asked and sung the aria for Hannibal as perfect as I could. After that he taught me some different songs. And even let me listen to a couple of songs he'd written for his organ.
Night fell, and we both ate dinner. It hadn't been much, pretty much bread and water, but he had managed to steak some gravy from the Christmas feasting, so we had that on our bread. Plain, but not bad tasting.
He and I sat and talked for a long time, about everything. I told him everything that had happened when we'd gone sledding, and even told him that falling in the pond was almost ok because we'd won the race. I told him more of my past too, I didn't care if he didn't want to share, I was willing to tell him everything, and he was fascinated.
I asked him stuff, but I not about himself, so much as what he knew. He told me about different countries he'd visited and their customs, and told me everything there was to know about music. I was most fascinated by the bass clarinet. I just thought it was different and interesting. He showed me lots of different books and even read me a few. Some of them I understood, others not so much.
Finally I yawned, I had no idea what time it was but I knew it must be late. He gave me a nightgown to change into and I did, in his room with the curtain drawn. He wasn't watching anyways, he was playing a little bit on his organ. When I was changed he went and changed himself, and when he came back I almost fainted! He was absolutely stunning, he wore a pretty loose fitting white shirt, and I could see almost every inch of his perfect chest.
He led me up into his bedroom, I prayed, let it be I could sleep with him! My wish was granted, as he led me to his bed, then got in after me. I waited till he was a bit settled before I draped my arm over his chest and snuggled up against him. He didn't reject me, which was good considering how he usually acted with other women. He only had eyes for me and Christine. I smiled and closed my eyes, this was perfect, this was how it should be all the time.
The next morning Phantom let me sleep in. I was grateful to that, as I was very tired. He did eventually wake me. I changed back into my own dress and he led me upstairs to the dormitories. Before I left I leaned up and kissed him deeply one last time before going to meet Lizzy. She looked at me "I take it you were with your Phantom?" she asked. I nodded and laughed "How's Carlotta?" I asked. Before Lizzy could answer me I heard a very loud scream "She's found the rats" Lizzy said.
The pranking war on Carlotta had begun. I don't even know what happened with the pen drawings all over her face, but obviously we had a good start as she was running around screaming her head off about the fake rats we'd placed in every single drawer of her vanity, and anywhere else we could find. The people who made the props were more than happy to make all those rats for us to place, they hated her as much as us.
The costume crew had helped us with the next prank, every single piece of Carlotta's wardrobe had been replaced by rags sewn together. And that's what she came marching out in, rags. The maids looks better than she did, and some of them were still drunk!
I almost forgot about what we did to her shampoo. We put a little dye in it, and when she finished her daily bath she came out with bright green hair. Me, Lizzy, and the other ballerinas kicked back and watched the chaos unfold and Carlotta rampaged around demanding who had done this. We all looked at each other and laughed, the fun had only just begun.
The next day began with a herd of sheep crammed in her dressing room. The maids had also helped us trash the room. There was dirt and rags, and all the garbage in the entire opera house had been dumped in her room. We all laughed, the only downer on that was that it made that entire hallway STINK. She came out, today with blue hair, and she smelled horrible.
Next thing we did, everybody had pitched in to help. We put mirrors along every single hallway, even on the backs of doors. Carlotta couldn't even find the bathroom! All the staff and crew had been given maps, along with everybody else so we wouldn't get lost. I wonder if she took she hint that SHE might get lost?
Well, the next day was the last real pranking day before we had to pick up and get ready for the Masquerade Ball. We took down all the mirrors, but instead lined the halls with black paper and then killed the lights. Today, her hair was purple, and he rag dresses were beginning to fall apart. I must admit I did feel kinda bad in the end, because she broke down crying uncontrollably in the hallway. Time to finish it off.
That night, I snuck behind the sliding mirror in her room, I waited, before letting my voice echo off the walls in her room "You foolish diva! Do you see what becomes of those who mess with the Opera Ghost?" I asked deeply. She screamed, and my work was done. She ran out of the room, and quickly I went out of the mirror, and jumped out of her room before anybody could see me.
She was out cold that night, as we wrapped up the prank. The plan? Put everything back EXACTLY as it had been before. Make it look like nothing had ever happened, and so in the morning, we could tell her she was crazy. Her hair was the hardest part, but we managed to eventually wash the dye out of it. Exhausted, I congratulated everyone on a job well done, before we all climbed into our beds to sleep.
Dear Phantom,
I hope you are proud of the work we have done. I am very pleased with it, Carlotta
will look like a crazy person when she wakes and finds everything the way it was. Ha ha,
she really needs to stop being so dumb! Anyways, I ask that you please, PLEASE come to the
Masquerade Ball with me. Please? Everyone will be wearing a mask, you'll blend right in!
Please Consider,
~Gabriella
I put the letter under my pillow, I really hoped he would come. Well, I had a day to find out. Tomorrow would be a day of preparation, then the next day would be the actual ball. I had been practicing my dancing a little bit. Lizzy seemed especially excited, because she hoped this would be her chance to meet the guy of her dreams. I really do hope she finds someone, she deserves it.
After the ball, my next task will be Cesar's freedom. He has gotten a break because everybody's been too drunk to bother with beating him, but soon we'll all be back to work, and what'll happen to him then? I'm dreading it quite badly.
My dreams are filled with Phantom now, I cannot resist him at all. I do not think we'll have any kind of true relationship right now, but I hope maybe one day that might change. How long I'd have to wait? I hoped not long, but sadly, it would end up being so.
