(Did you all like the touchy-feely moment last chapter? I hope you did…Also, I am changing what really happened…slightly. You'll see)

The Rooftop

Apparently, while I had been asleep in Erik's home, he had sent various letters to the management. He had dictated that I would perform the lead role in Il Muto. Of course, La Carlotta and the managers, Andre and Firmin, refused adamantly. The managers were more afraid of losing the resident diva than the wrath of the "Opera Ghost." They didn't quite realize that they were making a huge mistake, but then they had always been a bit thick-skulled.

So I was assigned the silent role, while La Carlotta got the role of the Countess. I more or less expected that to happen, as La Carlotta always got the lead in plays. I never really understood why. To me, she had always sounded somewhat like a goat.

Opening night dawned near, and my Phantom had been unusually quiet during rehearsals. That in itself was odd, as he almost never missed an opportunity to wreak havoc and mayhem. He still privately instructed me in secret, but he often seemed distracted, as though he were plotting something…

On opening night, I discovered what Erik had been concocting. La Carlotta had been performing her best, that is to say, her worst, and the audience members, oddly enough, were enjoying the performance. Things were going rather smoothly, and the managers were extremely pleased with La Carlotta. I secretly think that they were smitten with her… ha-ha, imagine that! All of a sudden, while Carlotta was singing, Erik threw his voice over the crowd and asked, "Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept empty?"

Without thinking, I murmured, "He's here." Apparently, the Prima Donna, being the control freak that she is, did not approve of me speaking. I'm willing to bet that she would have thrown a hissy fit if one of the cast members so much as cleared their throats while she was singing.

"Your part is silent, little toad," reprimanded La Carlotta.

My Phantom noticed when La Carlotta chastised me and said quietly, "A toad, Madame? Perhaps it is you who are the toad." No one else in the theater seemed to hear that remark except for myself. Uh, oh, he was definitely up to no good. From now on, I vowed, he would be going no where without a keeper, a leash, and a heavy dose of Ritalin.

I had, mercifully, been able to think these thoughts while performing, so I had been blissfully deaf to La Carlotta's voice. Until a giant croak was omitted from her throat, of course. That definitely got my attention, along with the rest of the crowd's. The croaking continued as streams of tears made their way down Carlotta's cheeks. Wow, and I thought she sounded bad before! Notice how I am not terribly sympathetic. That is because she was such a domineering bitc- Abruptly, she was ushered off of the stage and I was being shoved into her costume. Well, I guess I would be lead after all.

It got worse, though. Much, much worse. The ballet had been performing while I prepared to go onstage. Suddenly, Joseph Buquet, one of the stage hands, dropped from above the stage. Around his neck was a piece of rope. Oh, dear God. What had Erik done? Damn him!

I rushed out of my dressing room and up the many flights of stairs leading to the roof, moving as quickly as a corset would permit. I felt a prickly sensation on the back of my neck, the one that you get when someone is looking at you. I knew that I was being followed by someone, and I guessed that it was Erik. If it was, he certainly had a lot of explaining to do!

I reached the rooftop and stood near the edge, looking out at the extravagantly illuminated city and the black, cloudless sky with unseeing eyes. I thought of everything and nothing as memories assaulted my mind. I did not hear heavy footsteps, nor did I hear the sound of someone breathing. I was completely unaware that I was not alone until my companion placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. I spun around and saw Raoul.

I let out a sigh, hoping he would mistake it for one of relief and not one of annoyance. Couldn't he tell I wanted to be alone? Apparently not. As if on cue, he started rambling on and on about him keeping me safe. He wanted me to confide in him and tell him everything. I wasn't going to do that! I hardly even knew him any more!

Then, once he had exhausted all of the possibilities of that conversation, he proposed to me! Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. My God, I hardly even knew the guy anymore! I guess that he thought I was still his innocent Little Lotte. Oddly, even though he bored me, I enjoyed his company. He was a friend of mine. That was why I could not find the heart to turn him down on his proposal, at least not outright.

I did tell him that I needed to think about his proposition for a little while. Then I made it quite clear, without being impolite, that I wanted a little privacy. He kindly humored me and left.

Once he was gone, I said, "Alright, come on out Erik. You have a lot of explaining to do!" Obediently, Erik appeared from the shadows. I saw anger in his eyes again, but also, for some odd reason, betrayal. "Erik, why did you kill Buquet?" I asked bluntly. A look of shock replaced his look of anger. The betrayal still remained firmly in place, however.

"You think that I killed Buquet?" he questioned incredulously, seemingly surprised that I could assume him capable of murder.

"Well, did you?"

"No." Hmm, that was surprising. I decided not to falter, and continued the interrogation.

"Then what happened?" At this he paused, but continued at the steely look in my eye.

"He was drunk - again. I am assuming that he leaned over to get a look at the ballerinas. He must have leaned into some rope or something, I wasn't actually there. Then he must have tripped or leaned over too far and fallen, with a bit of rope still around his neck." Well, his explanation did seem logical, and I really wasn't in the mood to hold a grudge. I decided to just live and let live. "And what were you doing with the Viscomte?" he asked. He seemed to spit out Raoul's title like there was an unsavory taste in his mouth. That irked me.

"He followed me up here. I had come to seek isolation, knowing that you would probably follow me." I replied to his question.

"And he proposed to you?" he asked angrily, his face nearing mine. His voice was no more than a whisper. I refused to be intimidated.

"Yes, he did. I did not, however, agree to marry him. I said neither yes, nor no."

With that, Erik slammed his fist into a nearby statue. "Why don't you just go to your little palace with your perfect Viscomte?" I could tell he was trying to hide the hurt in his voice, and he was failing miserably.

"I don't want to." was my simple reply.

"Then why didn't you say no?" Erik questioned, the hope and betrayal in his eyes almost too much for me to bear. "Why couldn't you just be rid of him?"

"Because he reminds me of a simpler time, when father was still alive and life was carefree." Two tears made their way down my cheeks. Erik's attitude softened considerably.

Gently, he wiped away my tears and asked more softly, "You can live a life with your perfect Viscomte. Why didn't you say yes?"

"Well, he is charming, I will give him that. He didn't, however, see the chorus girl during the rehearsals of Hannible. He only saw me when I was in the lead role. He is also musically inadequate!" Thought the last reason that I gave was meant to be slightly joking, I realized something. I wanted music to be a part of my life for the rest of my life, and the life of a Viscomtes would not be a musical one.

Erik looked startled. I guess he hadn't thought that every human has their flaws. Raoul was not a musician, and he never would be. I was occasionally childish and spiteful. Only occasionally… And Erik…He had a nasty temper.

"Look, Erik, I think that I need to get back. The show must go on, right?" With that, I turned around and walked to the staircase leading back to the stage. Before I headed down, I looked back to where Erik was standing. His golden eyes and my blue ones connected, and I felt my heart skip a beat. Then, before my eyes, Erik melted into the shadows.