Disclaimer: . . . I'll give you Russia if you sue me. Not that I own it or anything. . .then again, I don't own anything except my cuddly winter theatre tickets. BUT YOU DON'T GET THEM! ^-^ Kafwee.
A/N: Chappie five. I don't think that there's much more to say. Oh yes, two things. One -- Thank you reviewers! ^-^ And two -- I am quite aware that I'm teetering on the dangerous edge between being a good story and a crappy, Mary-Sue story. Trust me, I'm leaning quite towards the good story option. ^^ Oh, and, sorry for the delay -- I didn't turn my laptop on over vacation, and I do most of my story-writing in school. x3 But don't tell my teachers. o.o
:Chapter 5 - Auditioning:
Michael glanced up at the box and then back at Kali.
"Him? So now you want the chair to become an actor? Diana, if you say one more word that isn't written down in this binder --"
"Chair?" Kali asked, whirling back towards the box.
"DIANA!" Michael fumed. But even as the word was screamed, Kali had hurried offstage and into the wings, Josh on her heels.
"Diana - Diana wait, just stop!" Josh hissed, catching Kali's wrist and turning her around.
"What?" Kali asked quickly, glaring at the young man in front of her.
"Diana, where exactly did you find this person who can nail down Phil's part perfectly?" he demanded, not loosening his grip on her wrist.
"He's my mother's. . .sister's. . .aunt's. . .great-niece's. . .sister's son. . .twice removed," she replied quickly, trying to pull her hand free.
"Diana, you don't have a brother." And then, as if realization suddenly dawned on him, Josh raised an eyebrow at her. "You didn't find him on the subway coming here, did you?"
Kali stayed silent for a moment, not moving. "Could I have my wrist back?" was all she said before finally fighting her way free from his grasp.
"Oh no. Damnit Diana, I told you about finding people on the subway. They could be totally insane and -"
"This person isn't. I know that for a fact," she replied smugly before turning. "Of course, it all depends on how you define the word 'insane'. . ." she called over her shoulder as she continued throughout the theatre.
After first seeing Kali glance towards the box, Erik had immediately stepped back into the shadows. Damn her. He had come to see a performance, not be in one. Although, she was being silly, expecting him to have an entire show memorized before eight P.M.
Then again, he certainly could do that.
But, of course, he wouldn't.
By this time, he had stepped out of the box, retreating down the hallway and not paying attention to where he was going.
Kali, who was running frantically through the theatre, also not paying attention to where she was running, soon slammed into Erik, tumbling down while attempting to grab his hand.
"Erik!" she exclaimed, looking up at him from her sprawled out position on the ground. "Oh, Erik, I need your help. Long story short, our actor who plays you broke his leg. . .or ankle. . .or whatever. . .anyway, the other actor who was with him is coming and is expecting the role tonight and, no offence, well, yes, this is offensive. . .I hate his voice. And, well, you're seeing the performance tonight, and you'll be assured that it's just. . .not. . .you. Anyway, I'm begging you, please convince Michael that you can step in. . .please!" Kali pleaded, her eyes wide and watching him intently.
Erik sighed, offering her his gloved hands to help her up. "I already know, Mademoiselle," he replied, pulling her to her feet. "But I'm afraid that I would not be able to learn the part in a few hours. . . it would be quite impossible." He released her hands, aware of raised lines on her wrists, although he said nothing about them.
Kali stared at him, dusting herself off. "But you are the part," she protested, rubbing her wrists.
"Yes, but along with the libretto there is also the issue of choreography, costumes, etcetera. . ." Erik replied, elegantly crossing his arms.
At the word 'costumes', Kali simply raised an eyebrow, looking him square in the eye.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Why would I kid, mademoiselle?" Erik asked her.
Her reply to this was simply a hand motion.
"Well, yes, I don't suppose the costume would be a problem," he quickly said, keeping his voice from faltering. The world must be ending now, he was sure of it. This young girl had opposed him -- this young, black-and-fishnet-clad girl had just corrected him.
"And the choreography is simple," Kali continued, running a hand through her hair. "You're offstage most of the time, anyway."
Erik simply watched her, his expression non-changing. She was a very stubborn girl, wasn't she? If there was anything that he hated about women, besides their natural curiosity, it was their stubbornness.
"You should return to rehearsal, mademoiselle," he said to her, the flawless side of his face looking quite insistent.
"There'd be no point," Kali replied, turning. Suddenly, a small, distant smile appeared on her face, although she was sure Erik couldn't see. Then, she raised her voice to ensure that he could at least hear. "Perhaps I'll come down with a sudden cough," she added, beginning to cough while walking away.
There would also be no way imaginable that Erik would perform. No way possible. No way --
Damnit, he'd have to.
He began to walk down the hallway, his steps quickening slightly when he heard Kali's voice onstage.
"I couldn't find him. Pity, too, I could have sworn he was here --" she interrupted herself with a light cough. "But it also seems that I can't possibly perform tonight. You see, my throat --"
But before she could finish, Michael's eyes were past her, looking at a figure standing at the left corner of the stage. The entire cast and crew turned also, but Kali avoided looking, figuring it was James.
"I heard Mademoiselle Thomson was looking for me," Erik informed them, his gaze keeping on Michael. "I'm afraid I stepped out for a moment. . .was there something you needed?"
Kali's head quickly snapped towards the corner at the sound of his voice, a look of questioning on her face.
Erik shifted his gaze towards her, elegantly raising his eyebrow as to ask, 'Is there?'.
"Oh-oh, well, yes. . .er. . .I'm sure you've heard that that we need an actor for tonight's performance. . .would you- would you mind singing something for Michael?" Kali asked him, her hands clasped together in excited nervousness.
"May I, monsieur?" Erik inquired of Michael, turning his gaze back to the stage manager.
"Of-of course," Michael replied, not really prepared for any of this.
Kali quickly smiled, handing her libretto in a binder to Erik, flipping it open to a song entitled "Music of the Night". {{A/N: What else? ^^}}
Erik took the binder from her, quickly looking over the song before giving Kali a glance that said - in a very elegant, Erik-ish, 19th century way, of course, - "Look out for the Punjab Lasso when this is over."
Kali, of course, gave him a grin and a slight shrug, retreating to sit on the other side of the stage.
The rest of the cast and crew also moved aside, and Michael had turned back to his somewhat-normal self.
"From the beginning of the piece, then," he instructed Erik, making a motion to the performers in the orchestra pit.
Within three seconds, the instruments had started, Erik had prepared himself to sing, Kali had softly gasped for air, Michael had placed a hand on the arm of a seat, the cast and crew exchanged glances and remarks about the stranger, and Josh had come back onstage, skidding to a halt next to Kali and watching Erik.
By the time he had finished the first phrase, the entire female audience had 'melted', and the male audience was staring with their mouths half-open. This was, by far, the most perfect voice that they had ever heard. Kali could not have even dreamed how beautiful it was, let alone expect that scale of beauty and perfection.
When the song was over, and everyone had regained their senses, Kali stood up and began to vigorously applaud. In a moment, the others had followed, and grins broke out on Kali, Michael's, and Josh's faces.
Once the applause had ended, Michael nodded towards Erik, who was in the process of exchanging some words with Kali, while he handed back her binder.
"Well?" Kali asked Michael, clutching the binder over her chest in excitement. "Can he?"
"Is it just for this one performance?" Michael asked, looking from Erik to Kali.
The two exchanged glances, and then both said, "Yes."
Michael sighed, muttering. "Damn."
Kali's face immediately dropped, and the entire cast and crew stared at Michael.
"W-what?" Kali asked quietly.
Michael looked back up at her. "Oh, I was hoping he could somehow stay for longer," he replied, a small smile breaking out on his face.
Josh looked at him. "You mean. . .?"
"I'm not that crazy, Josh. Of course he can take the role!" Michael exclaimed.
There was silence for a moment, before Kali uttered a sound of extreme joy, grinning from ear to ear at Erik.
Michael began to jot something down in his binder. "What's your name, sir?" he asked.
"Erik," Erik replied, and a few of the female chorus members swooned.
"No 'c'. Just a 'k'," Kali quickly added. Erik simply glanced at her.
"Well, welcome to the cast, Erik," Michael said, clicking his pen closed. "Even if it is for one day."