Chapter 23

Meg was waiting for us outside the audition theatre.

"There you are! I was afraid you weren't going to turn up!" She said in relief as we approached her. Then she paused and looked at me carefully.

"OK, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." I said, surprised. She continued to stare at me.

"Don't try and fool me, Christine. I know you too well. You're upset about something."

"She's good." Erik commented. I elbowed him and then shook my head.

"I'll tell you later. Don't bug me about it, OK? I just want to get through this stupid audition."

"It is not stupid!" Meg told me sternly, putting her hands on her hips. She looked at me again.

"OK, you look like crap. What's with the bags under your eyes? What time did you get to bed?"

"Usual time. I just got dragged out of bed very early. Look, I'll tell you later." I said, tiredly. Meg folded her arms.

"That's it. As soon as this is over, you're telling me exactly what happened. Nothing is allowed to happen in any aspect of your personal life without me knowing about it!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, OK. Are you auditioning?"

"Nope. I just thought I'd be fun to see how you reacted when I signed you up. Hey, have fun!" She said, pushing me through the door. I rather wanted to find a sharp object and poke her with it. The three of us walked down a corridor to a room, where around thirty other auditioners were waiting, talking noisily. I looked at Meg in despair.

"Meg, I'm never going to get in! I can't believe you did this to me."

"I did it because I care." She said absently, looking around. I groaned and sank into a chair. Erik sat beside me.

"You sang perfectly when we practised today."

"When we practised, we weren't being watched by other people." I pointed out. Meg snorted.

"Never stopped you in school. You were such a little show-off."

"I was not!"

"Were too! You always had to be the lead in every play, in every choir, in every music club… it's was sickening frankly." Meg said cheerfully. I glared daggers at her.

"Marguerite Antoinette Giry, I am going to kill you."

"Hey, no middle names! That's low, Christine Marie Daae." Meg sniggered. Erik arched an eyebrow.

"Marie?"

"It was my grandmother's name." I cried.

As Meg and I sat arguing companionably, Erik visibly amused, we were approached by a girl we knew from school.

"Christine?" she said shyly. I looked at her and then smiled.

"Jessie Hughes! You're auditioning?"

"Yeah. I doubt I'll get in though. There are so many good people auditioning today." Jessie said, sitting opposite us. I gestured at Meg.

"You remember Meg?"

"Of course, you're the dancer." Jessie smiled. Meg grinned and I looked at Erik.

"This is my boyfriend, Erik. These two are here for moral support. Meg signed me up without telling me first!"

"You mean you didn't sign yourself up? But you always sang in school." Jessie said, in surprise. Meg let out a "ha!" of triumph and I elbowed her in the ribs before replying.

"I haven't done a lot of singing since school finished. But Erik's been training me. Is anyone else from school here?

"Only us and Carlotta Premastrio. You remember her?"

I snorted.

"Who could forget?"

"Who?" Erik asked. Meg replied.

"She and Christine were absolute rivals in school. Always competing for the main parts. They usually both got lead parts, but it was always such a huge drama."

"We weren't that bad."

"Oh, you were." Meg said simply and Jessie nodded. I laughed,

"Fine… we were both little prima donnas and threw tantrums all the time. What does Carlotta do now?"

"Oh, she's in the music programme here at college. I'm surprised you didn't take it." Jessie commented. I shook my head.

"I gave up singing when my Mum died. I only started again a few months ago."

The door opened and I muttered,

"Speak of the devil." Carlotta Premastrio strutted in. There aren't many people I could say that I truly disliked, but she was one of the first people on the list. She was very good looking, had a great voice range and was a very talented actress. Pity she was such a bitch on top of all that.

She caught sight of me and sneered slightly before moving on. I rolled my eyes. Meg laughed and said quietly,

"You're a much better singer. Carlotta's voice is way too… shrill. Don't worry, you'll definitely get in."

"Well I have to now! If she gets in and I don't I'll never hear the end of it!" I said resolutely. Erik eyed me.

"I didn't realise how competitive you were."

"I'm not usually. But when it comes to her…" I shook my head and Jessie smiled.

"You'll be amazing. What song are you doing?"

"One that Erik and I wrote together. What about you?" I asked.

"I'm singing I Don't Know How To Love Him from Jesus Christ Superstar. It's one of my favourites."

"Break a leg; I really hope we both get in. Safety in numbers." I said, nodding at Carlotta. Jessie giggled and nodded.

"Absolutely."

The door to the auditorium opened and a woman looked out.

"Would the people who are auditioning please come through. Well-wishers can watch from the upstairs gallery." I stood and looked at Erik.

"Wish me luck."

"You don't need it." He said quietly and kissed me. With a smile I turned and followed Jessie into the auditorium.

The thirty of us picked random numbers from a box, saying what order we would be in. To my dismay I was the very last person to go, with number 30.

"Great. That won't make me nervous at all." I mumbled to Jessie. She had number 16 and smiled.

"Don't worry. It just means the judges will remember you even better."

"But if you go first, you get it over with AND you get to set the standards." I said. I glanced over at Carlotta, hoping to see what number she had gotten. Luckily, she was pretty much broadcasting it to everyone.

"29? What a nuisance, having to sit through everything. It will be so dull!"

"You're kidding? She's right before me." I groaned. Jessie looked sympathetic.

"Relax, Christine. You'll be much better than her. I wonder what song she's doing."

We sat down in the front row, luckily not in numerical order. I couldn't have stood being sat next to Carlotta through 28 auditions. There were three judges, a music professor from the college, one of the organisers of the show and, to my surprise, Mr Reyer. He winked at me and I smiled back. The music teacher, Professor Sandsmark, looked down at us all.

"Before we start, I would like to say, break a leg. I'm sure you will all be wonderful. Unfortunately, we can only let in ten people from you all. I'm sure it will be a very hard decision for the judges to make. Please hand your music to the pianist when we call your number, or give your pre-recorded disc to the technician. Thank you all."

A ripple of applause and the first person was called. It was a confident looking guy, who handed a disc to the technician.

"The name of your song?" Professor Sandsmark asked. The boy replied,

"Angels by Robbie Williams."

There were some good singers, I noted with dismay. Unfortunately, there were also some abysmal ones, who made everyone cringe. One poor girl ran off the stage in tears when she messed up. I prayed desperately that it wouldn't happen to me. I craned my neck and peered up into the gallery. Erik and Meg were sat right at the front and Meg waved as she saw me glancing. I grinned back before turning as Jessie walked onto the stage.

She was good. Better than good, she was great. I was amazed. I mean, I knew she was pretty good from when we'd been in school. But she'd clearly had training because now she sounded perfect. When she finished we applauded, as we had for the others, but it was louder than before. She sat next to me and grinned weakly.

"I'm shaking so much! My heart is racing…"

"You were amazing, Jessie! I couldn't believe it when I heard you!"

"Thanks Christine. I'm so glad it's over!" she said, collapsing back in her seat.

Carlotta's turn arrived and she made her way onto the stage. I know its mean, but I was sort of hoping she mess it up. She didn't of course. She performed some operatic piece I didn't know, reaching notes that only dogs could hear. My heart sank. I wasn't getting in. There had been way too many good singers and I knew Carlotta would get in. She always did. Another thing I noticed was that she was dressed in a gorgeous show dress, maybe a little over the top for an audition, but still… first impressions and everything. I glanced down at my t-shirt and jeans, wondering if I should have worn something a little smarter.

"Thank you, Carlotta. Number 30 please, Christine Daae."

I heard Meg cheer as I went onto the stage. That made me grin as I handed the sheet music to the pianist who eyed it. Most people had brought backing tracks. I looked down at the judges.

"What song are you doing?" Professor Sandsmark asked.

"It's called Think of Me."

"I don't believe I know it…" the organiser, Mrs Lewis, said vaguely. I smiled.

"It's an original piece."

"Hmm… well, go ahead." Professor Sandsmark said, dubiously.

I looked over at the pianist who began to play the introduction. I looked up at Erik and smiled slightly. He nodded back with a smile and I started to sing.

Think of me

Think of me fondly

When we've said goodbye

Remember me

Once in a while please

Promise me you'll try

Mr Reyer was sat up, leaning forward eagerly. Professor Sandsmark looked surprised, but not in a bad way. Mrs Lewis was watching, wearing the same encouraging smile she had had on all afternoon. I pressed on.

When you find

That once again you long

To take your heart back

And be free

Spare a thought for me

I fell silent as the music reached a crescendo. My eyes fell on Jessie and she grinned and put her thumbs up. I smiled slightly and looked back up at Erik.

We never said our love was ever green

Or as unchanging as the sea

But if you can still remember

Spare a thought for me

He was watching, with a sort of proud expression. Meg was staring at me, grinning insanely.

Think of all the things we've shared and seen

Don't think about the way things might have been

Mr Reyer had a delighted smile on his face and I could see a few people in the audience were leaning forward in interest.

Think of me

Think of me waking

Silent and resigned

Imagine me

Trying too hard to

Put you from my mind

Carlotta, I noticed, was sitting in her seat, arms folded and a furious expression on her face. This gave me a small measure of delight.

Recall those days

Look back on all those times

Think of the things we'll never do

There will never be a day when

I won't think of you

The music swelled again and I waited for my next cue. I knew the song perfectly by now, it was etched into my very brain. I felt that little bubble of happiness I got every time I knew I was singing to the best of my ability. I also got it whenever Erik looked at me that way, the way he was now. Pride and love in his eyes. The cue arrived and I opened my mouth, wanting to pour my very soul into my song, anything to keep that look on his face just a little longer.

Flowers fade

The fruits of summer fade

They have their seasons

So do we

But please promise me that sometimes

You will think…

Here it came. That flowing of notes that I always feared. I took a deep breath and looked up at Erik.

…Of me!

The pianist stopped playing and I looked down at the judges, awaiting a verdict. Mr Reyer had gotten to his feet and was applauding enthusiastically. Soon, so were most of the other auditioners. I smiled in relief and went to leave the stage.

My moment of glory was brought to a quick close as I tripped down the steps, landing in a pile at the bottom. Everyone gasped and I burst out laughing as a couple of people helped me to my feet.

"I'm sorry!" I laughed. Most of the others laughed too as I took my seat next to Jessie. She smiled.

"You were incredible! Did you really write that?"

"Well, Erik wrote most of it. I did the ending." I said, rubbing my knee. I had bruised it falling down the steps. There was a hole in the knee of the jeans and I sighed.

"Never mind. I could use a new pair anyway. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't dress up."

The judges stood.

"We'll be announcing the results in fifteen minutes. There are refreshments in the room you were waiting in, please feel free to have something." Professor Sandsmark announced. Jessie and I took our time. My knee was bleeding slightly, I noticed. When we reached the room I took a napkin and mopped it up.

"Do you think I lose points from clumsiness?" I asked Jessie. She shook her head.

"Don't worry, you'll definitely get in. I've never heard you sing like that before, not even at school."

Carlotta was glaring in our direction and spoke across the room, causing everyone to fall silent. Meg and Erik came in just as Carlotta said,

"You obviously didn't write that song. You'll get disqualified for cheating."

"What do you mean? Of course I wrote it. Well, we wrote it." I said, gesturing at Erik, who joined me. Carlotta sneered.

"Prove it!"

"If they didn't write it, how comes it says copyright to Erik Lavonne and Christine Daae at the top?" Meg said innocently, waving the sheet music at her. Carlotta stared at the paper and read the top carefully. Then she flung it at me and went back to the group of friends she had brought with her. I made a rude sign in her direction and turned to Erik.

"Was I OK?"

"You were spectacular." He smiled, kissing me. I smiled.

"I was so nervous! I'm so glad you were here."

"Hey, what about me?" Meg said indignantly. I laughed and hugged her.

"I'm grateful to you too." I yawned inadvertently and Erik smiled.

"Coffee? I could use one too."

We went to the refreshments table. I poured us both black coffees, adding plenty of sugar to mine. Meg eyed the cup.

"A sugar high isn't going to help, you know."

"Look, I'm exhausted. Just let me drink the coffee." I said, sinking into the chair next to her. The adrenaline rush that had kept me going through the audition had long disappeared. Now I was just tired and drained. Jessie was sitting patiently and I asked her how she was managing to stay so calm.

"Well, I did my best. That's as much as I could do. So I can't do anything about it now."

"Good philosophy. Don't think it would work on me." I said, sipping the coffee.

Erik looked down at me.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah… tired. I just want to get home and fall asleep." I said. Meg looked at me, disgruntled.

"Will you just tell me what's wrong?"

"Not here. Come back to the Manor, we'll tell you there." Erik said. Meg looked surprised but thankfully didn't push any further.

Why is it that time takes twice as long to pass when you're waiting for something? It's incredibly irritating, not to mention aggravating. By the time the judges emerged, the sugar was rushing through my system and I was pacing the floor, chewing the edge of the Styrofoam cup. Every time Carlotta or one of her companions laughed, it felt like a drill in my brain and I was starting to look for heavy objects to throw at them.

When the judges came in I returned to my seat, squeezing Erik's hand. He whispered,

"Calm down. You'll be fine." I nodded, not believing it for one moment. Mr Reyer stepped forward with a piece of paper.

"First, of all, congratulations to you all. I wish you could all have been in the showcase. We saw some superb examples of musical talent today. However, here are the final ten who have been selected to perform."

He started to read, pausing after each name to allow applause. With every name, my heart sank lower. I smiled as Jessie's name was announced. She gasped and Meg hugged her excitedly. When Carlotta's name was said, she and he friends all screamed.

"Someone hand me that fire extinguisher. I want to throw it at them." I muttered. Meg snorted with laughter and Jessie giggled.

There were only two spots left. Mr Reyer smiled.

"The second to last spot goes to Ryan King." We all applauded and I sank back in my seat.

"It's not me." I muttered. Erik looked at me.

"There's still one more place." I shook my head miserably. I thought I'd done well. Maybe if I hadn't gotten up at four in the morning I'd have gotten in. Was that it? Had I sung my heart out only to be turned away?

"And, last but most certainly not least, is…"

I closed my eyes.

"Christine Daae with the wonderful Think Of Me!"

My eyes opened quickly and my jaw dropped as everyone applauded. I mouthed wordlessly, turning to Erik who was gazing at me proudly. I blinked and stammered,

"Are you sure?" A ripple of laughter and Mr Reyer smiled.

"Yes, I'm sure. Thank you all for coming. Those who are in, there are rehearsal times posted on the music board. Please be prompt."

Everyone started to filter out. I stood and grinned as Mr Reyer approached me.

"Congratulations, Christine. You sang beautifully."

"Thank you so much, Mr Reyer. This is Erik Lavonne, he wrote Think of Me."

"Most of it. Christine finished it." Erik said honestly. Mr Reyer shook his hand enthusiastically.

"It's a pleasure, Mr Lavonne! I love your work."

"Mr Reyer was the performance of Don Juan Triumphant. I think I mentioned him once." I said to Erik who nodded.

"You did mention, yes."

"It was an incredible performance. Any plans for future releases?" Mr Reyer asked hopefully. Erik shook his head.

"I'm afraid not."

"Pity… well, if you do, let me know. I'd be delighted to hear some more of your music. Excuse me, I've got to run." He said, moving off.

Jessie said goodbye and left. As soon as the three of us were alone, Meg seized my arm.

"Come on. We're going to the Manor and you're going to tell me everything that happened!"

A/N: OK, I have the nicest reviewers in the world! You guys… you're just so wonderful. 180 reviews already? My god, I love you guys! I've never written a multichapter from just one point of view before, so this is all new to me. Although, it's good, because I can write exactly how Christine is feeling and it doesn't sound too sappy.

Thanks for all the support on the last chapter. I wasn't sure if it was too angsty, or if I could pull something that emotional off. But you guys seem to think it was OK, so yay! Love you all so much. Anyway, please leave a review and tell me what you think of this chapter.

Also my other Phantom fic is now up, thanks to the wonderful La Foamy. It's in my profile under the oh-so-original title of "The Phantom of the Opera." Enjoy!