Claire grabbed Meg's hand. " He's real! You were right and I was wrong. I thought he didn't exist, but he does and I saw him!" Claire caught her breath and made an attempt to straighten her hair, aware of how foolish she must look.
" Slow down." said Meg. " You saw the Phantom?" Claire nodded. Meg laughed. " I told you so! I'm glad he's still here."
" He said I had a good voice." Claire said. " Or, he said it would be good if I had the right teacher. I don't understand at all. He just left. Meg, why would a ghost lie to me?'
Meg laughed. " So you were singing! Ha, I wish I had gotten to hear you. I knew you wanted to sing." Claire pushed Meg's shoulder.
" Stop. I was just playing around. But why would he say I had a good voice? Why wouldn't he just tell me the truth? From all the stories, he doesn't sound like the type who would care about hurting a girl's feelings."
" He isn't." Meg looked at her friend. " He would criticize you voice until you ran out of tears to cry. I don't think he would lie to you." Claire sat on the floor in a daze.
" But I don't have a good voice. Everyone always said so."
" Who said so?" Meg asked.
" Everyone."
" No, Claire, I want names. Who ever told you that you couldn't sing?" Meg placed a hand on Claire's shoulder. " No one here ever told you that."
" My-" Claire was interrupted by Madame Giry storming into the hallway.
" Whether you girls like it or not, there is a dress rehearsal being held in two minutes. Meg Giry, if you want to stay a dancer, I suggest that you go now. You two can talk later. After the show. Claire, they need you onstage, something was spilled."
Meg took another concerned look at Claire and left. Claire shifted her weight. " Madame Giry," she began. " Do you believe in ghosts? You know, specters, ghouls, phantoms?" Madame Giry glanced sharply at the young woman. Claire gave a timid grin. " I was just asking." she said.
Madame Giry thought for a moment. " Are you talking about phantoms, my girl, or a certain angel?" She went to the stage, leaving Claire confused.
" An angel." she thought. " Maybe he's an angel."
" Slow down." said Meg. " You saw the Phantom?" Claire nodded. Meg laughed. " I told you so! I'm glad he's still here."
" He said I had a good voice." Claire said. " Or, he said it would be good if I had the right teacher. I don't understand at all. He just left. Meg, why would a ghost lie to me?'
Meg laughed. " So you were singing! Ha, I wish I had gotten to hear you. I knew you wanted to sing." Claire pushed Meg's shoulder.
" Stop. I was just playing around. But why would he say I had a good voice? Why wouldn't he just tell me the truth? From all the stories, he doesn't sound like the type who would care about hurting a girl's feelings."
" He isn't." Meg looked at her friend. " He would criticize you voice until you ran out of tears to cry. I don't think he would lie to you." Claire sat on the floor in a daze.
" But I don't have a good voice. Everyone always said so."
" Who said so?" Meg asked.
" Everyone."
" No, Claire, I want names. Who ever told you that you couldn't sing?" Meg placed a hand on Claire's shoulder. " No one here ever told you that."
" My-" Claire was interrupted by Madame Giry storming into the hallway.
" Whether you girls like it or not, there is a dress rehearsal being held in two minutes. Meg Giry, if you want to stay a dancer, I suggest that you go now. You two can talk later. After the show. Claire, they need you onstage, something was spilled."
Meg took another concerned look at Claire and left. Claire shifted her weight. " Madame Giry," she began. " Do you believe in ghosts? You know, specters, ghouls, phantoms?" Madame Giry glanced sharply at the young woman. Claire gave a timid grin. " I was just asking." she said.
Madame Giry thought for a moment. " Are you talking about phantoms, my girl, or a certain angel?" She went to the stage, leaving Claire confused.
" An angel." she thought. " Maybe he's an angel."