Disclaimer: Me? Own this masterish...ness? –bursts out in hysterical laughter-
"Meg, I've never met anyone like him!" Christine gushed, tapping her hands against the back of the seat in front of them. The friends were seated on the school bus, trying to ignore the insanity around them.
"I know, he's just the 'sweetest thing ever', right?" Meg rolled her eyes, closing her eyes. "You've told me all this. Can I please get my morning nap in? Unless we have a sub first hour, I'll never manage it in class."
Christine fell silent, staring out the window to avoid the boy across the aisle who was leering at her. Too many damn lechers at this school, she thought absently. Erik seems to be the only decent male around…
Erik. He'd been so sweet, holding her nervously as they watched Moulin Rouge. She'd dozed off in his arms before the film had ended and didn't recall saying good night. Meg told her in the morning that she and Mrs. Giry had come home, Erik had blushingly carried Christine to her bed, and said good night himself. This, of course, was what had set Christine off on her happy little tangent.
The bus pulled up to the school. Meg gave an annoyed sigh when Christine prodded her, but opened her eyes anyway and rose from the seat.
"Another day, same Hell," she quipped, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Did you do your Geometry homework?"
"Let's hope so," Christine replied with a shrug. To be honest, she couldn't remember doing work of any kind the previous night…then again, she couldn't remember being given homework of any kind. Really, her memory seemed to be shot.
Erik smiled nervously at her from his place in Mr. Hall's classroom. She went to his side and greeted him with a gentle kiss.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," he teased. "Did you do your homework?"
She looked panicked. "We actually had some?"
He laughed. "No, I'm just screwing with your head. Hall's not here today anyway, so you're safe."
"We have a sub?" Christine's heart sank. At least with the regular teacher, the kids behaved…sort of well. Which really wasn't all that well at all. But with a substitute, they were sure to spiral completely out of hand.
Catching her worry, Erik smiled again. "Don't worry about it. They can't do anything to me that hasn't been done before. Perk of having an ass for a father." The humor drained from his expression and he rubbed a spot on his neck—a phantom wound, perhaps?
Despite his carefree tone, however, Christine couldn't seem to relax. All period long she waited, expecting the other shoe to drop. When it didn't, it only strung her tighter and she began to jump at every little sound. Twice, Erik passed her desk simply to stroke her arm in reassurance.
When the bell rang, she ran to him. "Are you okay?"
"Of course." A lopsided smile danced on his face under the usual hood. "Christine, I told you, they get bored easily. They aren't going to keep at me."
Christine only shook her head. "People like these don't give up that easily, Erik. I'm—"
"Freaking out for no reason," he finished, kissing her forehead carefully. "Relax. Go to class, I'll be fine."
With nothing left to do, Christine had no choice but to obey his logical command. She shot him one last look, then scurried down to English seconds before the bell rang.
When lunch came, she was in his room before Erik himself. Jittery, she paced the enclosed space several times until he emerged through the doorway.
Clearly surprised to see that she had beaten him there, he asked, "Christine? Was there a fire or something in Chem?"
She rushed to him, throwing his hood off so she could look him in his startlingly gray-blue eyes. "You're still all right?" she asked, shocked both by the realization and her own disturbing paranoia.
"No need to sound so disappointed," he replied, tugging tersely on the strings of his hoodie as if fighting the urge to recover his face.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, sinking down in a chair and pulling her lunch from her backpack. "I've just…been…look, I don't know why, but I feel like this can't be working."
His head snapped up and his eyes took her in warily. "This?"
"Well, I mean…everything's going so well," she elaborated lamely. "Call me pessimistic, but I just can't see it continuing on without some sort of…"
"Being accused of beating a boy into a coma is going well?" he asked with a tiny smirk. "You must live an exciting life if you're used to that sort of thing."
She sighed and stood up again, too wired to stay still. "You know what I mean. I haven't heard from Raoul in days, the kids are being nice to you…it just doesn't feel right. Things don't go this well in the real world, they usually come back to bite you in the ass. You know?"
He shook his head quietly. "Christine…"
"What?" She stopped pacing for a moment.
"They aren't being quiet because they're part of karma," he explained. "They stopped irritating me because they're afraid."
"Afraid of what?" she asked, confused.
"Afraid of me. Your buddy Raoul spread the story of my interrogation all around the school and now…now they all want nothing more than to stay out of my way." He shrugged. "It could be worse. At least now there's silence."
Her heart broke at the words and the misery hiding beneath them. "Erik…they're idiots. You know that."
"Knowing isn't the same as believing," he answered roughly, getting up and facing one of the walls. There was silence for a moment; then he said, "Do you know why I have these posters?"
He was referring to the carnival pictures that she'd wondered about earlier. As she watched, he gently ran his hand along the words on one, closing his eyes as if in infinite pain.
"My father…one of his friends had a fair a couple of years ago. Nothing too elaborate, just a quick money-maker scheme that they'd come up with at work. They had the usual things there: a lion on rent from the local zoo, some clowns who had nothing better to do with their summer. And then they had me. Freak Boy. Hell's Child." His lips curled in a hateful smile. "Do you like that name? Daddy Dearest came up with it. He always was one with a flair for the dramatics."
"Erik…" Christine reached out a hand to him. He shrugged her away.
"Don't bother feeling sorry for me, Christine. It was something to put on the ol' resume. 'Has worked in the circus, has cleaned cages, has prominent experience with the whip.' How many people can say that in this day and age, really?"
A tear slipped down her cheek. "God, Erik, why didn't you say something?"
"To whom?" he demanded, still facing away from her. "To the police? Oh, because they just love me, Christine, couldn't you see it in their unbiased expressions?"
"What about Madame Giry?" she shot back. "Erik, she could've helped you, taken you in, something!"
"It's in the past," he replied coolly.
"It isn't in the past!" she cried. "Damn it, Erik, he's still hurting you! You flinch when anyone comes near you! It isn't over—will never be over—until you do something about it."
"I'll be gone in June anyway," he answered. She could hear the tightness to his voice, the way he seemed to be holding back a flood of what was most likely anger. Rationality told her to stop pushing him.
"Gone where?" she pressed. "Where can you go where he won't find you?"
"He won't find me," he growled back, "because he doesn't care to look. If he cared, do you really think I'd be here every night I could, away from him? I'm just a toy to him, a useless punching bag. I'm not his son, I'm something he just has to contend with until I'm out of school."
"Erik!" she cried. "Erik, he's left his mark. It isn't going to go away that easily, you know that!"
"What do you care!" he shouted. She saw his fists clench and took a step back.
"I care because I love you!" she yelled back.
"You love me?" he snarled. "You love me? Me, this hideous beast?"
"Yes!" she cried, exasperated. Didn't we just go through this? "Yes, I love you, Erik! You are not a beast or a monster or a freak or anything else! Not to me."
The last three words were spoken very quietly, but he heard them all the same. His head bowed as if he were ashamed of himself. Then he whirled unexpectedly around, catching her by the wrists and pinning her to the wall. His eyes were wide, but conveyed no violence; only sorrow.
"This is what they want me to be," he whispered, thrusting his body against hers in a way that would've been painful if it had been anyone else. She gasped, instinctively pushing her hips back into his to give herself space. Oblivious, he continued. "This is who they want me to be. My father, my teachers, the police. They believe I'm capable of hurting people just because of my face! I don't understand it, Christine…" He pulled back from her and she shivered, feeling oddly cold and alone.
"I didn't do it," he whispered yet again. She reached for him, drawing him back to her, warming his body with her own.
He scared her when he got like this. He'd frightened her so badly in the hospital and this time…this time even more so. But somewhere underneath the fear was calm, the knowledge that he'd never hurt her. He couldn't hurt her.
"It's okay," she murmured against his throat where she was pressing frantic kisses. "It's okay…You'll teach them, Erik, you'll make them see. We'll do it together."
A/N: Ug, okay, this chapter didn't come out nearly the way I wanted it to. –shakes head- I get the feeling I'm being really repetitive, which is kind of the point…but I hope I'm not annoying you guys with it.
Review Replies:
hikari-no-tsubasa- Well, the other shoe will be dropping. I just won't tell when. –winks-
Omega Devin- Warm fuzzies are always of the good.
Childofthewilderness- Violence solves nothing. …unless we're talking about fanfiction. –grins-
Prongsthedestroyer- Yeah, it is a lovely world, isn't it…-dreams of the Butler happily-
Maeve Of the Nile- Here's some more. –points at horrible chapter- Sorry it isn't all that great.
Opera Jessie- lol, hey, I don't mind long reviews.
Rilette- Don't die! And…hey, advertising. –is thrilled-
Crazy Lady Georgey- Candy? Sure, enjoy. –tosses some- I'm glad I keep winning you skeptical-types over. That's just spiffy.
Just-an-Echo- Ah, a PotO movie…wait, hasn't that been done? –laughs-
Maglenan Songbird- Interesting is the word. You know, I was thinking of using Donnie Darko but somehow…
AMLisdabomb- You are very persistent, did you know that? –laughs- Okay, I'll try to work in a make-out-in-the-rain session. Not sure when….but sometime. (P.S.-enjoy your nunnish thing. )
Melinda Daae- Yep, the Phantom is Erik. Isn't it a cool name?
PhantomInMyDreams- lol, so my parents aren't the only ones who force fanfiction-addicts off the computer…
midnightangel38- Ah, the song. Yeah, I've been thinking about that…good thing too, I tend to forget about important details…-sheepish- I'll try to remember this time.
Shortstef- Sure, have a cookie. I've got plenty. –beams- And I'm psyched that you like my story.
Alixy- Aw, I've been favorited! –hugs self-
Mill- That is…so massively creepy. Wow. Am I channeling you guys or what?
little wind- I've checked it out, it isn't plagarization (although I'm glad someone cares enough to mention it, I'm not the only person to ever write AU PotO…I think.) Thanks for the thought, though. –hugs-
krystal- I own her new book, actually. I'm only a bit into it, though, I had to put it on hold because I just rented Susan Kay's Phantom from the library.
draegon-fire- Hmm…not sure. –evil grin- We can dream, though…
ENTR'ACTE- Heh, I'll try not to overdose you on fluff.
Falling Phoenix- Sugar and flowers. I'm such a lucky little author…
LadyWillow- Wow, hyper? Lol, here, enjoy.
Silent Tragedy- Heheh, okay, I'll buy that. –amused-
LiTTleLoTTe1991- Oookkkayy….lol.
MJ-Skywalker- Skeptism again. Well, at least you've given me a chance. –smiles-
Hoshi-… –says nothing, only grins very broadly-
Number47- lol, ah, he's still around, don't worry…
Aki T- Fluff is good, fluff is very good.
Okay, I know I missed a bunch of people and for that I apologize, but this it, like, 2 full pages of RRs…-sigh- I love you guys, never did I dream I'd surpass 100 reviews, let alone 300. Man…I think I have to sit down.