Chapter Twelve
The greatest thing you'll ever learn....
The next day, Jade was back to old self -almost. She refused to see Alex -though he had
left the Moulin Rouge- and wanted "Come What May" taken out of the show. Her head didn't
hurt anymore and she talked and laughed with Roxanne and Christian but her face was bruised
and the two cuts on her head could still be seen. It was nearly two hours until Spectacular
Spectacular premiered and everyone in the Moulin Rouge was busy. Jade was putting on her
first costume and trying to remember all the words and lines to the show; Roxanne was
practicing her dance movements in her costume. Only half her mind was actually on the dance
movements and the other half was thinking about Alex and Jade. Jade still loved Alex, she
could tell, but she wouldn't talk to him. Besides, Alex had left the Moulin Rouge all
together; there was no way of knowing where he was. Roxanne sighed and stopped practicing;
she couldn't bear to see Jade so unhappy, even if she didn't show her unhappiness. Roxanne
decided to go find Alex, with Christian's help and bring him back to the Moulin Rouge to
explain. Roxanne left her dressing room and headed off the find Christian.
Jade had just finished putting her costume on and she was trying to fix her hair when
Christian knocked on the door. Jade told him to enter and he did; he walked over to her and
joined her at the beau where she had all her combs and brushes laid out. "You look like
Satine." He told her.
Jade looked at herself in the mirror. "Really?" She asked, tying her hair
up in a ponytail.
"Yes but Satine wore her hair down." Christian told her and undid the ponytail.
Jade admitted that she looked better with her hair down.
Roxanne was looking for Christian; she passed by Jade's open dressing
room door. She noticed that Christian was inside. Roxanne stuck her head inside the doorframe
. "Christian, I hate to bother you but would you come here a second? I need to ask you
something." Roxanne said; she wanted bringing Alex back to be a surprise.
Christian walked with Roxanne down the hall; she explained to him
her plan. Christian thought for a moment and then agreed to go with her to find Alex; he
also didn't like seeing Jade so unhappy.
"How long is this going to take? The show starts in less then two
hours." Christian said as he followed Roxanne out of the club. He noticed she was wearing
her Indian costume, which was yellow, and had sparkly gems sowed onto it. "You're going
into the city with that on?" He asked.
Roxanne frowned. "So, it took me too long to get it on, I might as well leave it on."
Roxanne answered.
Roxanne and Christian passed the "elephant" and the red windmill and left the Moulin Rouge
all together.
Back inside the Moulin Rouge, Jade was combing her hair when she began to hum to the
words to a song. The song wasn't the show not anymore; no matter how hard she tried she
couldn't get "Come What May" out of her head. She knew it was because she still loved Alex
but she couldn't forgive for what he did. "And there's no mountain too high, no river too
wide. Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side. Storm clouds may gather and stars
may collide-" Jade paused. "But I love you, until the end of time.." She stood staring at
her reflection in the mirror. "Come what may, I will love you until my dying day.." Jade put
her brush down. She should have listened to Christian and let Alex explain everything; now
it was too late. She couldn't leave not know, the show would start soon and she had no idea
where Alex was. But, she had to find Alex; she would have to tell Harold to postpone the
start of the show.
Jade turned around to leave and was startled by the figure standing in the
doorway; it was Peter. Jade took a small step back as Peter entered to room; he held a
bouquet of red roses. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. I came to say I'm sorry. Really
sorry; I didn't know what I was doing; I was just too jealous I guess. I heard about what
happened between you and that guy; so now I hope you'll forgive me. I'd like to stay and
watch your performance." Peter said.
Jade stared at him, deciding what to do. She might never find Alex again and she
would hate to throw everything away. "Okay." Jade answered. Peter moved to hug; she hugged
back, laying her head on his chest. Inside his coat pocket there was something cool and
metal.
"What's in your pocket?" She asked, breaking the embrace.
Peter pulled a sliver pistol out of his pocket. Seeing the look of confusion in Jade's
eyes Peter said, "Just in case, if you're walking down a dark street at night, it's always good to
be prepared."
Jade raised an eyebrow. "You always carry that with you?" She asked as he put it back
in his pocket.
"Sure, like I said, good to be prepared." Peter answered.
"Peter, I have to finish getting ready. I'll see you after the show." Jade said.
Peter kissed her on the cheek and left, shutting the door behind him. Jade turned to
look at herself in the mirror again. Her eyes were cold and sorrowful. "Come what may", her
eyes said, "I will love-" Jade shut her eyes and turned away from the mirror.
An hour and a half had passed and still Roxanne and Christian could find no sign of Alex.
"Roxanne, the show is going to start soon. We have to go back." Christian said as he sat
down on a bench leaned against the wall of a building.
"We can't leave without Alex." Roxanne said.
"We don't have any idea where he lives or where he might be, I should have know this
would have never worked." Christian muttered.
Roxanne didn't say anything, she didn't even let on that she had heard what Christian
had said at all. Christian noticed that Roxanne was staring across the street and into a
park. Christian followed her gaze and saw Alex sitting on one of the benches, head bowed.
"What are the odds of that?" Christian muttered, standing up. He and Roxanne
headed over to the park to bring Alex back to the Moulin Rouge.
Ten minutes 'til show time and Jade couldn't have been more nervous. She sat in
her Hindi Goddess costume; the costume was bikini style, red and atop her hair was a sort
of diamond crown. Jade was sitting backstage, right behind the curtain, watching all the
people enter the theater and take their seats. Peter was seated right in the front row, the
bouquet of roses at his feet. Jade let the curtain slid back into place as she leaned back
against the wall. Christian and Roxanne had disappeared; she hadn't been able to find them
since Roxanne had come to get Christian. If they didn't show up then Spectacular Spectacular
would be in big trouble without the lead dancer and second lead.
Back in the park, Roxanne and Christian were having a hard time convincing Alex to
come back to the Moulin Rouge with them.
"Why should I go back? She'll never forgive me and I don't blame her." Alex muttered.
"She still loves you, I can tell. You have to go back to the Moulin Rouge to show her
that you still love her." Roxanne said.
Christian was standing beside the bench -Roxanne and Alex were sitting on it-, he
began to think of when Satine told him that she no longer loved him when she really did.
Things aren't always, as they seem, Toulouse had told him. Things are exactly the way they
seem, he had replied. "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in
return." Christian muttered.
Roxanne and Alex looked up at him. "What?" Alex asked.
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."
Christian repeated and looked down at Alex. "Jade still loves you, I know this; she hums
'Come What May' every chance she gets and every time someone mentions your name she gets
that far-away look in her eyes. She still loves you and I know you love her. You must go to
the Moulin Rouge and tell her how you feel." Christian said.
Alex stood up. "When does the show start?" He asked.
Roxanne looked up at Christian as if she just remembered the show. "It should have already
started." She said, her face growing pale.
"We have to hurry then." Christian said.
The three hurried back toward the Moulin Rouge.
The greatest thing you'll ever learn....
The next day, Jade was back to old self -almost. She refused to see Alex -though he had
left the Moulin Rouge- and wanted "Come What May" taken out of the show. Her head didn't
hurt anymore and she talked and laughed with Roxanne and Christian but her face was bruised
and the two cuts on her head could still be seen. It was nearly two hours until Spectacular
Spectacular premiered and everyone in the Moulin Rouge was busy. Jade was putting on her
first costume and trying to remember all the words and lines to the show; Roxanne was
practicing her dance movements in her costume. Only half her mind was actually on the dance
movements and the other half was thinking about Alex and Jade. Jade still loved Alex, she
could tell, but she wouldn't talk to him. Besides, Alex had left the Moulin Rouge all
together; there was no way of knowing where he was. Roxanne sighed and stopped practicing;
she couldn't bear to see Jade so unhappy, even if she didn't show her unhappiness. Roxanne
decided to go find Alex, with Christian's help and bring him back to the Moulin Rouge to
explain. Roxanne left her dressing room and headed off the find Christian.
Jade had just finished putting her costume on and she was trying to fix her hair when
Christian knocked on the door. Jade told him to enter and he did; he walked over to her and
joined her at the beau where she had all her combs and brushes laid out. "You look like
Satine." He told her.
Jade looked at herself in the mirror. "Really?" She asked, tying her hair
up in a ponytail.
"Yes but Satine wore her hair down." Christian told her and undid the ponytail.
Jade admitted that she looked better with her hair down.
Roxanne was looking for Christian; she passed by Jade's open dressing
room door. She noticed that Christian was inside. Roxanne stuck her head inside the doorframe
. "Christian, I hate to bother you but would you come here a second? I need to ask you
something." Roxanne said; she wanted bringing Alex back to be a surprise.
Christian walked with Roxanne down the hall; she explained to him
her plan. Christian thought for a moment and then agreed to go with her to find Alex; he
also didn't like seeing Jade so unhappy.
"How long is this going to take? The show starts in less then two
hours." Christian said as he followed Roxanne out of the club. He noticed she was wearing
her Indian costume, which was yellow, and had sparkly gems sowed onto it. "You're going
into the city with that on?" He asked.
Roxanne frowned. "So, it took me too long to get it on, I might as well leave it on."
Roxanne answered.
Roxanne and Christian passed the "elephant" and the red windmill and left the Moulin Rouge
all together.
Back inside the Moulin Rouge, Jade was combing her hair when she began to hum to the
words to a song. The song wasn't the show not anymore; no matter how hard she tried she
couldn't get "Come What May" out of her head. She knew it was because she still loved Alex
but she couldn't forgive for what he did. "And there's no mountain too high, no river too
wide. Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side. Storm clouds may gather and stars
may collide-" Jade paused. "But I love you, until the end of time.." She stood staring at
her reflection in the mirror. "Come what may, I will love you until my dying day.." Jade put
her brush down. She should have listened to Christian and let Alex explain everything; now
it was too late. She couldn't leave not know, the show would start soon and she had no idea
where Alex was. But, she had to find Alex; she would have to tell Harold to postpone the
start of the show.
Jade turned around to leave and was startled by the figure standing in the
doorway; it was Peter. Jade took a small step back as Peter entered to room; he held a
bouquet of red roses. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. I came to say I'm sorry. Really
sorry; I didn't know what I was doing; I was just too jealous I guess. I heard about what
happened between you and that guy; so now I hope you'll forgive me. I'd like to stay and
watch your performance." Peter said.
Jade stared at him, deciding what to do. She might never find Alex again and she
would hate to throw everything away. "Okay." Jade answered. Peter moved to hug; she hugged
back, laying her head on his chest. Inside his coat pocket there was something cool and
metal.
"What's in your pocket?" She asked, breaking the embrace.
Peter pulled a sliver pistol out of his pocket. Seeing the look of confusion in Jade's
eyes Peter said, "Just in case, if you're walking down a dark street at night, it's always good to
be prepared."
Jade raised an eyebrow. "You always carry that with you?" She asked as he put it back
in his pocket.
"Sure, like I said, good to be prepared." Peter answered.
"Peter, I have to finish getting ready. I'll see you after the show." Jade said.
Peter kissed her on the cheek and left, shutting the door behind him. Jade turned to
look at herself in the mirror again. Her eyes were cold and sorrowful. "Come what may", her
eyes said, "I will love-" Jade shut her eyes and turned away from the mirror.
An hour and a half had passed and still Roxanne and Christian could find no sign of Alex.
"Roxanne, the show is going to start soon. We have to go back." Christian said as he sat
down on a bench leaned against the wall of a building.
"We can't leave without Alex." Roxanne said.
"We don't have any idea where he lives or where he might be, I should have know this
would have never worked." Christian muttered.
Roxanne didn't say anything, she didn't even let on that she had heard what Christian
had said at all. Christian noticed that Roxanne was staring across the street and into a
park. Christian followed her gaze and saw Alex sitting on one of the benches, head bowed.
"What are the odds of that?" Christian muttered, standing up. He and Roxanne
headed over to the park to bring Alex back to the Moulin Rouge.
Ten minutes 'til show time and Jade couldn't have been more nervous. She sat in
her Hindi Goddess costume; the costume was bikini style, red and atop her hair was a sort
of diamond crown. Jade was sitting backstage, right behind the curtain, watching all the
people enter the theater and take their seats. Peter was seated right in the front row, the
bouquet of roses at his feet. Jade let the curtain slid back into place as she leaned back
against the wall. Christian and Roxanne had disappeared; she hadn't been able to find them
since Roxanne had come to get Christian. If they didn't show up then Spectacular Spectacular
would be in big trouble without the lead dancer and second lead.
Back in the park, Roxanne and Christian were having a hard time convincing Alex to
come back to the Moulin Rouge with them.
"Why should I go back? She'll never forgive me and I don't blame her." Alex muttered.
"She still loves you, I can tell. You have to go back to the Moulin Rouge to show her
that you still love her." Roxanne said.
Christian was standing beside the bench -Roxanne and Alex were sitting on it-, he
began to think of when Satine told him that she no longer loved him when she really did.
Things aren't always, as they seem, Toulouse had told him. Things are exactly the way they
seem, he had replied. "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in
return." Christian muttered.
Roxanne and Alex looked up at him. "What?" Alex asked.
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."
Christian repeated and looked down at Alex. "Jade still loves you, I know this; she hums
'Come What May' every chance she gets and every time someone mentions your name she gets
that far-away look in her eyes. She still loves you and I know you love her. You must go to
the Moulin Rouge and tell her how you feel." Christian said.
Alex stood up. "When does the show start?" He asked.
Roxanne looked up at Christian as if she just remembered the show. "It should have already
started." She said, her face growing pale.
"We have to hurry then." Christian said.
The three hurried back toward the Moulin Rouge.