Chapter 13

Auditions

Christine was shocked when she spotted Madame Giry, but Erik could not be caught so easily off guard. By this point, he was used to the Girys poking around the Opera House, showing up whenever you didn't need them and disappearing whenever you did. Meg was still trying to discover a way in ever since she had been dared by one of the other ballerinas to get ahold of his mask. Erik snorted. As if. He mumbled out a quick "nice to see you too," before sense caught up to him and he realized there must be a purpose for her coming. "Why are you here? I would have thought you'd be fitting in some last minute dance rehearsal since the opera starts tomorrow evening."

Madame Giry looked quite irked at the mention of rehearsal. "Yes, that is what I should be doing, and what I came down to talk to you about. I'm not sure that there will be an opera. As of yet, the managers haven't convinced Carlotta to return. They've been flitting back and forth from various jewelers and expensive dress shops to her house all day. She's been adamantly refusing to sing. So, the opera is Prima Donna-less."

"The managers haven't begun to look elsewhere yet?"

"That's what I'm guessing will happen next. Firmin and Andre have locked themselves in their office and sent for Vicomte de Chagny. Somehow, they think he'll be able to get them out of this mess. He's going to tell them to hold auditions for the best chorus girl and put her in Carlotta's old position. I believe auditions will start in an hour."

Erik looked puzzled. "Why an hour?"

"Well, the Vicomte has not arrived yet, so that's ten minutes. Then ten minutes of Andre and Firmin groveling, twenty minutes of verbal abuse from the Vicomte, and twenty minutes to set up and spread the word about the auditions." She let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm still not sure even a new Prima Donna will solve the problem. Memorizing all those songs in only a day or so would be quite the feat, there's probably no one who could do it. All my hard work down the drain for nothing…" she muttered bitterly.

Rising from his seat, Erik began to pace the length of the room, wringing his hands. "Well, normally I would disagree and tell you that such a singer does in fact exist… Well, I'm not sure if she could memorize all those songs in one day, but she already has them memorized." His voice grew quieter. "But I'm not sure if she can sing, her health has been compromised and I don't want to risk damaging her vocal cords if she's not fully recovered yet."

Christine's eyes widened, as did Madame Giry's. "Who?" demanded the ballet mistress. Then, the pieces clicked into place and she looked over at Christine. "Christine? Erik, her voice is heavenly, but she's still so young! I'm sure that she can sing flawlessly, but being on stage is not just about ability. The pressure might be too much."

"Hey!" Christine shot her an indignant look.

Lost in his thoughts, Erik looked past the pair in an impressive thousand yard stare. "I don't know what other option we have. It is part of why I've been training her for the past six years. I just never expected it to come so quickly… I mean, really. I've been sending Carlotta threatening letters and dropping props on her for years, and she does nothing, but when Reyer insults her for a few minutes she leaves permanently? I must be losing my touch…" He shook his head, clearing his brain. "We don't even know if those two buffoons will choose you or not. They didn't recognize your talent the first time around, and tried to throw you out. Who says they'll realize what they have this time?"

"So it was you the first day I came here!" Christine said.

Erik blushed. "Well… uh… maybe." He shook his head again. "The point is, we still don't know if you can sing. The antidote that Nadir gave you might not have taken full effect."

"I was near fully recovered before I even got the antidote. I'm perfectly fine now. Erik, this is the chance of a lifetime! We have to take it!" He unwaveringly shook his head. Christine widened her eyes, and her lower lip began to tremble. "Please?"

Internally, Erik groaned. Not the puppy dog eyes. Eventually, his heart won the war. "All right. We'll have to start practicing immediately then, as a refresher. It's been almost two days since you last practiced." He nodded to Madame Giry. "Thank you for telling us about this. Christine will be upstairs in forty minutes."

Giry returned the gesture and tapped a hidden panel on the wall, exiting through the door that was revealed.

Christine looked vaguely amused as the door slid closed. Erik took her hand, leading her to the music room. "Shall we begin?" The first notes of an aria began, and Christine closed her eyes and let herself float away with the music.

Although Firmin and Andre were far older than the Vicomte, they were being lectured by him as if they were not yet ten years old.

He loomed over them, glaring down with a sternness that would have impressed the Trunchbull. His voice boomed throughout the small room. "I told you to do ONE thing. One itty bitty little thing. Get. A. Prima. Donna. I didn't really care how. Woo Carlotta back, force her back, find a new Prima Donna –I really didn't care. Just how difficult is it for you two to follow instructions?" He ran his fingers through his hair, breaking his furor enough to prevent an attempted murder charge. "I need a moment to settle."

He turned away from them and settled down in a chair, contemplating possible solutions. There was only a day left before the opera was scheduled to begin; surely, no one could memorize all of those elaborate songs so quickly. Still, almost every member of the cast had heard those songs everyday; Carlotta's voice could pierce even the thickest of walls, so there was nowhere to hide during her rehearsals. Maybe the songs wouldn't be perfect for the first show (which would give the entire production a bad reputation from the critics), but they'd be passable. It would likely prevent ticket refunds as well. Holding auditions for the Prima Donna role appeared to be the best bet. It would be best if the managers weren't there for the auditions, though, he mused. Their tone deafness was rivaled only by deaf men themselves: if they were given a chance to be at the auditions, they would likely insist on a terrible singer simply because she looked like a tasty tart. So, he needed some way to get rid of them.

Straightening up, Raoul clasped his hands behind his back, turning around to face the managers who had once again begun trembling. Disgust clouded his emotions for a moment. "Get up!" he said. "Now, you're going to hold auditions for the Prima Donna role. Find out which chorus girls know the songs best; at least a few of them must know most of the lyrics, even if they don't know the more complex parts. If we get desperate, we can have two girls playing the role so that there is less to memorize. Tell Monsieur Reyer to have everyone prepared in twenty minutes." Firmin and Andre's heads shook nervously as they started to inch their way to the door.

Andre's hand had just reached the doorknob when he was interrupted. "After that, I want you both to return to La Carlotta's home and beg on your hands and knees for her to return." Raoul's face bore a huge grin: they deserved the verbal abuse that would be rained on them; their failings as managers were unparalleled in size. The image of their future torture delighted Raoul.

That imagined scene was precisely what Raoul needed to lift his spirits after this Prima Donna fiasco. He had actually been having a good day before he received the message from the opera house. That morning, the jailed thief had mysteriously turned up on his doorsteps, practically gift-wrapped. Well, he almost was, seeing as he did have a large bow tied around him. Raoul had dragged him inside and removed the thief's gag; then, Raoul was told that the thief had been freed by a dark skinned man, who told the prisoner that "the Vicomte would know who sent him". A little bit after he had escaped, the officers were in uproar. Ledoux was especially angry that his one lead had escaped. Raoul could only hope that he wouldn't become as obsessive as that nut-job, Javert, that he worked with. Even though Raoul knew that the thief's return would become a debt in the future, he was happy to have him back for now. There would be no way to procure evidence saying that he was involved in the thief ring, or the breakout. Forcing Andre and Firmin to deal with Carlotta was just the icing on the cake for his day.

Both Andre and Firmin tensed up at once. Andre stuttered a little bit, but Firmin finally managed to choke out a response. "We can't."

"Why not?"

"She said she won't speak to us anymore, that she deserves someone more worthy of her presence to speak to her. She said the only person she would make deals with is you."

Raoul groaned. Maybe today wasn't going so well after all.

Half an hour later, the stage was crowded with ambling cast members. Everyone, even stagehands, had come out to witness the auditions, curious as they were about a new Prima Donna. Lined up just past the curtains were all of the auditioners, eager to get their chance at fame. Seated in the orchestra pit were Reyer, Madame Giry, several other musicians, and the very disgruntled looking managers. Reyer rose from his seat and waved his conducting stick, motioning for silence. The buzz fell down to a low din. He cleared his throat then began.

"Tomorrow, we start Hannibal. And before one of you uneducated miscreants asks, no, it is not about Hannibal the Cannibal.

"As we have," he coughed, "unfortunately lost our lead role, we have to fill that position for tomorrow's premiere. We know that there is insufficient time to memorize every song before tomorrow, so if needed, we will have two girls playing the lead role. When you come forward, state your name and the amount of the songs that you know. We will then have you sing the song you know best to judge your suitability for the role. Now, first in line, step forward."

The curvy girl at the head of the line squealed and ran on stage. She stumbled as she made her way there. Looking at Reyer, she said "my name is Laura Dupont. I know every song by heart." Reyer failed to look impressed. However, Firmin and Andre seemed absolutely enthralled, Andre going so far as to tug on Reyer's sleeve before he was shrugged off in annoyance.

"Well, if you know all of them, then sing Elissa's aria." Madame Giry said.

Laura paled. "Um… okay." She bit her lip nervously, rocking back and forth as she began. "Think of flowers, think of flowers fondly as summer fades. Pine trees, youthful… uh, flowers. That day, never sniff the flowers…" Her voice croaked to a finish as she trailed off uncertainly. She grinned nervously.

Reyer adjusted his glasses, hoping the hideous performance had been merely a trick of the lenses… and his ears. Madame Giry's lips had grown even tighter than usual. Only Andre and Firmin remained in jolly spirits after the girl had stopped.

Andre tugged on Reyer's sleeve again. "We want her," he whispered. "She has… potential."

"No." Reyer didn't even have a second's hesitation as he called out, "next!"

Laura left, shoulders slumping, as a male youth took her place. Reyer and Madame Giry looked at him in shock. "My name is-"

"George, go. Just go. I'm not in the mood for games." Madame Giry dropped her forehead onto her hand in exhaustion.

Sticking his head up from the orchestra pit to peer around the curtain, Reyer noticed that there were several more men standing in line. His irritation building, he mounted the stage and crossed to where the remaining candidates stood. Placing his hands on his hips, his expression meant business. "We have just seen two examples of people we will not accept. If you are male, leave. If you have never sung before but somehow still think you can get this part, leave. I've had dealt with Carlotta enough to know that terrible singers are obvious from the moment they open their mouths. If you think you can fool me, and the rest of the judges, you are wrong. Go."

About half of the line disappeared in a matter of seconds.

Tryouts continued much the same for another hour. There were a few decent girls from the choir, and Christine had grown extremely nervous as her turn came closer and closer. None of the girls knew quite as much of the songs as she did, but that was no guarantee that she would secure the lead.

By the time her turn had come, almost all of the judges were haggard looking. Listening to several Laura copies –despite Reyer's warnings for them to leave the auditions- had really taken it out of them. Christine was pretty sure she spied an empty bottle of alcohol at Reyer's feet. Still, Madame Giry had perked up the second she walked on stage, and had poked Reyer out of his stupor.

Christine hesitated a second before she began speaking. "My name is Christine Daaé. I know all of the songs."

"Another one of you 'I know all of the songs' girls?" Reyer moaned. "Not again…"

Disregarding Reyer's objections, Christine began to sing Elissa's aria.

"Think of me, think of me fondly

When we've said goodbye,

Remember me, once in a while,

Please promise me you'll try.

We never said our love was ever-"

"I think we've heard enough." Reyer held up his hand as a signal to stop. Christine's heart fell. They had already decided against her? Had she really sung that poorly?

Reyer snapped his fingers below Andre's ear, jolting him out of his nap. Andre looked extremely confused, but roused his companion. Turning back to the stage, Reyer made a bow to Christine. As he straightened up, he said, "Congratulations on becoming the new Prima Donna. I expect you back here in fifteen minutes for rehearsal. Do whatever it is you need to do to get ready during that time."

Christine's heart sped up. Her angel would be so proud.

Had Christine not endured Erik's perfectionist nature, she would have sworn that there was no one harder to please that Monsieur Reyer. There was little to criticize in her singing –Erik had made sure of that- but there was quite a bit of work for her to do in memorizing the various stage movements she would need to take during the opera. Even though many of the scenes had been simplified so that she would just stand in place while singing, all of the entrances, exits, and emotions had to be practiced to perfection. Without her previous dancing experience, she would have been completely lost in some of the more subtle movements required of her.

If she was to be honest, the most difficult part was acting. She failed miserably at gazing adoringly at Piangi when he entered the stage. She liked him well enough by himself, but he had been irrevocably tainted by Carlotta over the years. However, he made every effort to be cordial to her, and she extended him the same courtesy. It was impossible for her to pretend he was anything other than an object to her, a fact that Reyer harped on constantly.

Hours later, rehearsal ended, and Christine couldn't have felt more relieved. The poison had sapped much of her energy, despite her protests to Erik otherwise. She also hadn't had much sleep between wandering through the corridors, being pricked by a dart, trapping herself in a bathtub, running to Nadir's, and having an audition. All in all, that wasn't how her bedtime routine usually went.

Arriving at her chambers, Christine began to shrug her dress off her shoulders when a nervous cough interrupted her. "Oh!" she squeaked, whirling to face her guest. Erik stood next to the mirror, a single rose in his hands. Her dress returned to her prior place on her shoulder.

"You were marvelous tonight, mon cherie." He walked closer, offering her the rose.

Christine took it and twirled it between her fingers delicately. She offered him a warm smile. "All because of my teacher's lessons."

Erik returned her smile and lifted his hand to her face nervously, brushing a stray curl behind her ear. He took another step closer. "There are some things you cannot teach. Your natural singing ability is one of them. You have the most beautiful voice I've ever heard."

Both of them leaned in closer, their noses almost brushing.

A loud bang from outside jolted them apart in surprise. As soon as Christine recovered her senses, she began fiddling with the rose. "Thank you for the rose. It's beautiful. Meg believes you to be my 'secret admirer' because of them."

A look of shock crossed Erik's face. "You told her the Opera Ghost was your secret admirer?"

"Oh, no. I just described you to her. Well, I attempted to describe you. I hadn't seen you at that point, so I was guessing on a lot of characteristics… but I did tell her that you know my voice better than anyone else." Christine glanced away. "Do you care that I told her you were my secret admirer? I don't want to seem like I'm pushing myself on you if that's not what you want…" Christine blushed. She knew Erik cared for her, but she had no idea if that extended in a more than friendly manner. He had shown extremely jealously concerning her before, but that could just be his natural state.

Erik was flabbergasted. "O-O-Of course I don't mind." His hands landed on her shoulders, twirling her to face him. His hands fell limp to his sides. "But… um, you should probably get to bed. We don't want you to be tired for your big performance tomorrow night." He opened the mirror and half stepped into it before turning back to her. "Sweet dreams, Christine."

Christine smiled. "Good night, angel."

After he had left and she had gotten ready for bed, Christine slipped under her warm blankets. As she lay her head down on her pillows, a slow violin melody began playing in the background.

A/N: As usual, sorry for the long update. The dreaded school began two weeks ago for me. I shall be working quite hard to keep on top of this story though. It's a rather short chapter by present standards too, oops. Also, I'm debating changing one of the genre tags of my story to humor, because by this point I've gotten ridiculously silly at some points. I am also quite sorry that I didn't send out any PM replies to my reviewers last chapter; I worked on this instead. I love you all!

Thoughts?