Kaylen walked down the long hallway, measuring tape in hand. Today after hearing all about her from Meg, she was finally going to meet Christine if only to get her measurements for her small role in Faust. Kaylen had heard her sing that night in Hannibal and had to wonder why she would be cast in such a small part in Faust. Still the managers were known for being quite odd at times and weren't famous for knowing anything about the opera. Their place was in the office not the arts. Finally she found Christine's dressing room. She was surprised to find that it was located at the very end of a hall, hardly a appropriate place to put someone who she thought sang better than the current Primma Donna. She knocked timidly at the door not wanting to provoke one of the fits that singers were famous for. To her surprise a sweet voice answered and asked her to please come in.
"Mademoiselle Christine?" she asked still standing halfway in the hall.
" Yes" Christine replied with the most angelic smile Kaylen had ever seen.
At this Kaylen seemed to ease and she soon forgot her fears.
" I'm Kaylen. Birdy sent me to get some measurements for the Faust costume." Kaylen said as she cautiously entered the room.
" Of course!" Christine said cheerfully putting down a book she had been reading and coming over to greet Kaylen formally.
*

Erik watched from behind the walls as Kaylen measured Christine. For him it was like having both his treasures in the same room and being able to watch them both at the same time was sheer joy for Erik (or as close to joy as Erik could get.) But if he were comparing them to treasures to him where Kaylen was a ruby, plain but not displeasing, Christine was like a beautiful diamond, perfect in every way.

*******

Kaylen fixed her hair hastily checking in the mirror for any finishing touches she would need to make. She was to meet Christine, Meg and Ashley in less than half an hour for lunch. After she had met her, Kaylen and Christine had become fast friends. Meg had been right. Christine was the nicest person Kaylen had ever met, and not in the least stuck up even though she was the under study for La Carlotta.
She took one last look at herself in the mirror and walked out the door careful to lock it behind her. Her friends were waiting for her in brougham and soon they were at the small restaurant. Kaylen, who was never at ease in public, stayed close behind her friends as the host seated them. She was careful to follow there example, placing the napkin on her lap and minding the order in which she used her silver ware. It was here first time in a restaurant and she wanted it to be perfect. She soon began to relax when the conversation began. Meg seemed preoccupied through the whole affair, half heartedly stirring her soup around with her spoon, and never offering up any gossip. Kaylen knew Meg well enough by now to know that when she didn't gossip either she had lost her voice or something was terribly wrong. Kaylen leaned over to Ashley, knowing her better than Christine and asked what was wrong with Meg.
" Didn't you hear? Madame Giry was fired this morning." Ashley said a little surprised that Kaylen hadn't heard.
'Fired? Does Erik know I wonder? Surely he does. Why would they fire sweet old Madame?' Kaylen wondered as she sipped thoughtfully at her wine. Apparently the new managers had been overly distressed about having to deal with a phantom and took It out on poor Madame Giry. Kaylen looked across the table at Meg and wished she could do something or say something to cheer her up. Meg, who was usually the loud mouth of their bunch now sat skulking as if she were attending a funeral. Kaylen had to admit that it was depressing, very depressing.
Slowly the conversation turned to other things as everyone joined in in trying to cheer Meg up. Soon they had her smiling again, though only half heartedly.
They were about midway through their meal when a young gentlemen approached their table. Kaylen had never seen him before but he obviously knew Christine who couldn't help smiling at his approach. " Good day Christine." he said giving a slight bow "may I join you ?" When no one made an objection he gracefully pulled out a chair and seated himself. " Thank you. Christine, you must introduce me to your lovely friends." he said looking around the table and giving each girl a smile. Meg blushed gracefully at the comment and Ashley gave a slight smile. Kaylen, however was not impressed, even a shiny bottle of poison was still poison. She didn't like this man for some reason. There was something about him that was...unsettling. "Meg, Kaylen, Ashley, I would like you to meet Raoul. Raoul this is Meg, Kaylen, and Ashley." Christine said introducing them all politely by turn. Kaylen gave a quick smile not wanting to be rude.
Raoul, was it? Meg had said something about him what was it? She sifted through all the useless information she had gathered from Meg and tried to remember something about this Raoul guy. He was Christine's suitor and heir to a fortune. He was second in line to inherit and depended on his older brother, Phillip, for the time being. Kaylen slowly left her inner thoughts and phased back to reality and the conversation. She studied Raoul for a bit. He seemed a bit nervous about something. He was rearranging the silver ware constantly, an annoying habit, and he seemed to be sweating even though the room was cool. Finally when the conversation dulled down he turned to Christine. " Christine, I know we haven't been seeing each other for a long time...but we've known each other since we were children and I would be honored if you would...that is... would you...could you... consider being my wife?" he said as he produced and opened a small black box revealing a diamond ring on red velvet. Christine looked at Raoul then at the ring and then at Raoul again. "Of course!" she said lunging at Raoul to give him a hug.
Just then the sound of plates crashing to floor distracted Kaylen and she turned to look at the back door just in time to see a black shadow fleeing the resturant. "Please excuse me" she said using the excuse of wanting to get some fresh air after all the excitement. She walked calmly to the back door, trying her hardest to fight the urge to run instead, afraid that she might lose him in the darkness. When she finally made it out of the building the shock of sudden silence met her ears just as a cool breeze blew over her face. She began to look around and it wasn't long before the strange black figure sitting hunched in the shadows. She knew who it was but was he crying? She walked over to him slowly and laid one hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him. "Erik?"
*
He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He hadn't made it a practice to follow Christine around it was just that this night he had had some kind of strange feeling of foreboding. Unable to shake it he had followed her here. Damn him! How dare he! How DARE he! He had wanted to kill Raoul when those blasphemous words left his mouth. He probably would have to but he couldn't have very well walked into a busy restaurant and committed murder, not in front of all those people, and especially not in front of Kaylen. She still didn't know what kind of monster he was and he wanted to keep it that way.
Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Erik?" Erik's mind slowly registered the voice as he silently cursed himself for being so careless when he had left the restaurant. He composed himself enough to stop crying, trying to gather up what was left of his pride well enough to face her. He stood up trying his best to make it appear as though nothing had happened.
*
Kaylen watched slightly concerned as Erik slowly rose from the ground, his back still towards her. He finally stood up and Kaylen realized how tall he was. He straightened his shoulders and let out a deep sigh before finally turning around to face Kaylen. "Good evening Kaylen." he said, greeting her in the formal way that he always did. He did his best not to look troubled, even giving her a forced, half hearted smile. She wasn't deceived though, there was something in his eyes that betrayed him. They had lost that usual shimmer that Kaylen loved so much. She found it troubled her, and she must have frowned at the thought because Erik's smile slowly faded and he turned to leave. " Erik!" she called after him. He stopped and turned to face her once again though she could tell that he wanted to leave very badly. " Erik," she said in a voice that was barely above a whisper " you can always talk to me about anything you know. Sometimes it helps to talk to someone, besides what are friends for?" Kaylen looked at Erik and decided to take pity on him and let him go. He obviously wanted to be alone. The fact that he did not try to talk to Kaylen about what was troubling him made her feel as though he didn't trust her. She looked at the ground in disappointment and sighed. "Goodnight Erik." With that she turned her back on him to rejoin her friends in the restaurant.
*
Christine looked around the table. Ashley and Meg were busy gossiping, their favorite past time. She smiled at as she thought about all the stories they had shared since they had known each other. She turned her gaze to Kaylen who was stirring her soup distantly. She looked as if she had something on her mind. Then her gaze turned to Raoul who sat next to her watching her with sincere affection. She gave him a shy smile and then turned away from him. She couldn't bare to look at him. Looking back she realized that the only reason she had said yes was because she couldn't bare to hurt him and say no. Raoul was a good friend and she didn't want to hurt his feelings for anything. In truth he would make a good husband. She just hoped that he didn't find out, not before she had a chance to explain. She knew her angel would be angry, she knew that he loved her and she had come to find that in truth she really did love him too. She just wasn't sure of what kind of love she felt for the mysterious man behind the mask. Anyway it was to late now. She was promised to another. She looked down at the ring on her finger. 'I hope I'm doing the right thing.'