Disclaimer: Me? Own this? –bursts out in hysterical laughter-
"I can't take this anymore," Erik muttered into his palms. Christine took a tiny bite out of a cookie.
"Can't take what?" she wanted to know.
"Any of this!" he exploded, collapsing on the floor and closing his eyes. She rolled her own eyes and reached out to kick him gently.
"Drama queen."
"I am not," he argued childishly. "Christine, do you have any idea how stressful this week has been for me? Beatings, accusations…yesterday, someone threw a stuffed penguin at me." Looking perplexed, he added, "Who does that?"
"You too, huh?" Christine recalled her first day at the Cell. "Odd, the fixations some people have…"
"That isn't the point," Erik mumbled moodily.
Christine set her lunch aside and came to lie on the floor next to the worried young man, resting her head on his chest. "Don't listen to them," she advised. "They know absolutely nothing."
He sighed and she nestled closer to him, reveling in the rise and fall of his chest. "You try dealing with life knowing you're a complete freak and then get back to me on this topic."
"You are not a freak," she told him exasperatedly for about the eightieth time. "Mysterious, a little strange, sexy maybe," –at this, she pressed a kiss to his lips— "but not a freak. Not at all."
He sighed again. "You don't understand."
"I do understand," she insisted. "You're 'physically deformed', okay, fine. That doesn't make you freakish. You've gotten all the sympathy you will from me on that subject, so stop referring to yourself that way, all right?"
Erik smiled down at her, entwining the fingers of one hand in her hair. "All right, fine, you've got me there. I'll stop whining."
"And brooding?" she pressed.
He looked scandalized. "But brooding is my favorite hobby! If I give that up, how will I spend my time?"
Christine grinned slyly. "I've got a few ideas…"
"Oh, really?" Erik chuckled to himself. "I'll have to hear these."
She sat up abruptly, tapping a silencing finger against his lips. "Has to wait."
"What?" He sat up as well, frowning now. "Why? Do you enjoy tormenting me?"
"There's that. Also, lunch is almost over and Madame will ensure that we have no games of any sort if I'm late to class again." Since starting these daily lunch-in-Erik's-room sessions, Christine had already managed to be late twice. A third tardy, Madame Giry had threatened, and she would not only be grounded but forced to eat in the cafeteria. Seeing as Raoul frequented that side of the school, Christine wasn't overly fond of the idea.
Neither was Erik, who had come to cherish these thirty-minute periods. He allowed Christine to grab him by his hoodie strings and drag him to his feet and out the door.
The pair reached the choir room with a moment to spare before the bell tolled. Madame lifted her eyebrows at them.
"Ah, better timing today, I see," she remarked. "Glad to see it. Miss Daaè, take your place, please. Erik, I believe you know where I want you."
"The question is where does Christine want him?" Carlotta mocked in a haughty stage whisper. Erik went rigid; Christine squeezed his hand one last time before heading to her spot in line.
As she passed Carlotta, she whispered, "Tact is really your strongest suit. You should think about a career in child psychology or something."
The diva made an ugly, sneering face and a rude gesture. Christine only smiled sweetly back, but once Carlotta's back was turned, she flipped her middle finger up fleetingly. Meg let out a snort of laughter; from his place at the piano, Erik grinned and muttered a distinct, "That's my girl."
Christine snickered to herself even as Madame brushed past her and muttered, "Very classy, Christine."
This only prompted Meg to laugh harder. Christine grinned a bit more sheepishly; being so rude was not her style at all, but the malicious girl had certainly deserved it. She could make an exception every now and again for situations like these, couldn't she?
"You are so lucky she didn't catch you," Meg gasped through her giggles. "You would've been branded for life as a loser if she had, doomed to walk the halls while dodging—"
"—flying penguins?" Christine finished with a tiny mocking smirk.
"Exactly. You would have totally regretted it."
"Oh, would I?" Shaking her head, Christine accepted the sheet of lyrics that was passed down to her. "What do we have today?"
"Looks like Simple Plan," Meg remarked with the tiny twitch that had become customary whenever her mother commanded a very recent song to be practiced. "So I gather from your expression that becoming a social crater in the ground is not your deepest fear?"
Christine shrugged. "Don't care, to tell the truth. Raoul's on that side of the fence. Carlotta's over there. I think I like the company better on the outcast lawn, personally."
"Plus you're afraid you'll lose Erik if you become popular." Meg smirked, but Christine heard the envy in her friend's tone.
"I'm not—," she started to reply.
Madame cleared her throat. "I believe your voices are in working order, ladies and gentlemen, so the talking can stop. Erik, music please?"
"Can this song even be played on the piano?" Christine asked in a whisper. Meg's eye twitched again.
"If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that any song can be played on the piano."
Another day is goin' by
I'm thinking about you all the time
But you're out there
And I'm here waiting
And I wrote this letter in my head
Cause so many things were left unsaid
But now you're gone
And I can't think straight
This could be the one last chance
To make you understand, yeah
I'd do anything
Just to hold you in my arms
To try to make you laugh
Cause somehow I can't
Put you in the past
I'd do anything
Just to fall asleep with you
Will you remember me
Cause I know I won't forget you
Together we broke all the rules
Dreamin' of droppin' out of school
And leave this place
And never come back
So now, maybe after all these years
If you miss me, have no fear
I'll be here
I'll be waitin'
This could be the one last chance
To make you understand
And I just can't let you
Leave me once again, yeah
I'd do anything
Just to hold you in my arms
To try to make you laugh
Cause somehow I can't
Put you in the past
I'd do anything
Just to fall asleep with you
Will you remember me
Cause I know I won't forget you
I close my eyes
And all I see is you
I close my eyes
I try to sleep
I can't forget you…
"Stop. Prepare yourselves and start again," Madame called. The teens groaned.
"She's going off on one of those stupid 'you all suck, but I won't explain why' tangents again," Meg mumbled. Christine sighed, resigning herself to a class of torture as Erik's fingers paused for a split second on the keys, then started their mad dance again.
By the end of the period, her voice was completely hoarse. When Madame finally let them off for five minutes of free time, Christine simply fell over onto the floor.
Erik's face appeared over her. "Are you all right?" he asked, looking quite amused. She scowled, closing her eyes.
"No," she answered simply. "I'm dead. Cart my body away, please."
His face took a sharp turn for the troubled. She blinked.
"Erik? That was a joke. You know, your cue to chuckle or kiss me or…something?"
He rocked slightly on his heels. "Christine…this is going to sound weird, but…could you do something for me?"
She sat up, completely serious. "Of course. What's wrong?"
"I can't stop thinking about that kid, Joseph," he admitted. Her first instinct was to make a joke, but his mouth was set in the thin line that suggested that he was upset. She reached for his hand.
"What about him?"
"Well, I was wondering if you could find out what room he's staying in at the hospital for me. I want to…it's really stupid, but I'd like to visit him." He licked his lips. "Even if his aunt's still stalking me."
"Oh, are you kidding?" Christine asked. "I thought she'd decided to leave you alone."
He snorted. "She's seen my face. In her eyes, there isn't a less trustworthy person on this planet."
Christine decided not to comment on this. Instead, she said, "I'll come with you. We can go after school if you want."
The faintest smile she'd ever seen graced his features. "Thank you."
A/N: Look, I'm not dead! And I've returned to torture you poor people with yet more lyrics. Get used to it because I just found a mess of Erik-ish songs that I'm planning on using soon. –wide grin-
Review Replies:
Just-an-Echo- Hi! Another person! Wow, I feel so amazingly lucky…
Orion Maxwell- Glad you're enjoying it. If you want to be informed of my updates, stick me on author alert and wait for the billions of emails. –grins-
Dark-Autumn- Updating. –salutes-
Silent Tragedy- Wow, that's heavy (-blatantly stealing from Back to the Future-) I'm glad I could motivate you to take some action. I hope it goes well for you.
AMLisdabomb- You have no idea how hard I laughed while reading the end of this review : "So Erik beat the shit out of Joseph. Shit happens." Lol, I think that's hilarious.
Christie- Continuing!
MadameAngel- I instilled hyperness. Always a plus. –laughs-
V Leader of Amoi- Whoops, it was cliché? My bad…-nervous chuckle-
Alixy-calls after you- Hey, that's my hero! I need him for more chapters, so don't keep him out too long!
SmileVampy- I didn't think I was that good…thanks for giving me a bit of confidence there. –smiles-
Southern-born-and-bred- Short and sweet reviews are nice too. Thank you.
GabreilsGirl- Cool. –smiles-
Angel-of-Music1331- Ooh fudge!
Opera Jessie- Aw, I definitely recommend these songs. I love them! –clutches CDs to chest-
Fox Xanatos- As you wish. –sweeping bow-
Devilishly Pure- Cooking? Me? –sweatdrops- You don't want to see that picture, trust me.
Chibi Hime- It's the little moments of happiness that makes life worth living, I think. …which is rather irrelevant. –grins-
SALLYMAETHEHICK-lifts hands with an innocent smile- Not tellin'.
Morifaraer- Woah, all these skeptics are getting changed over. That's so cool! –squees, then gains control over self- Ahem.
Lady Pheonix1- Wow, uh…violence isn't the answer? –laughs- I appreciate the sentiments though.
Totschafe- Drooling? Would you like a mop, dear?
ENTR'ACTE- Hey, at least you had a snow day. I still had to contend with Geometry. –grumbles- At least I've got a week off now…
Padfootwolfboy- Not a mister, but that's all right. –laughs- And I love Lupin…he's my alter-ego. –cheerfully insane expression-
Phantom of the Past- Here's some more. Enjoy.
Dueformiracle-looks around- Um, one of my readers just melted…can we get a bucket over here?
Awoman- That was fantastic advice. I feel much better now.
La Foamy- Another threat of melting! I'm going to lose all my readers this way!
Xoxerikangelxox- ANOTHER ONE! –sighs and goes to find several buckets-
EmailyGirl- lol, don't you just hate when that happens?
Aki T-hugs- I'm so sorry! I really don't mean to forget you! I'M SORRY!
On that note, I may not get to everyone in review replies from now on. I'm very sorry, but I've got two pages of pure replies here and it's getting very difficult. I'll still try, of course, but if I miss you, don't feel all depressed and –cough cough- explode on me, okay? I'm still offering cookies!