Hello everyone! Thank you so much for sticking with me. Al though I didn't get as many reviews asI would have liked, I don't mind. As long as you guys are enjoying it. Here's Chapter Eleven.
The Review
"So if the square root of one hundred is ten, then y must be-"
"The answer of why the hell I'm in here."
Christine looked at Meg groggily.
"Ms. Giry," Mr. Hall said. "I know that your classmates must agree with you but math is essential in order for you to graduate. Math is the-"
"Basic building blocks of life," the class said in unison. "We know."
He sighed. "Then why do you all insist on making me repeat myself?" He turned back frustrated.
Christine closed her sleepy eyes and placed her head on the desk. "I need caffeine."
Meg sighed and whispered back. "And it's only Monday morning."
Christine groaned. "Lord, help me."
"Miss Daaé, Miss Giry, if you please, some are trying to pay attention. If this class does not interest you then you may leave."
Christine looked at Meg.
Meg sighed and said softly. "Wish I could."
"What was that Miss Giry?"
Meg's pale face went completely free of color, "Nothing, Mr. Hall."
Mr. Hall's eyes narrowed as if saying 'that's what I thought' and went back to his plans.
Christine and Meg could no t breathe too loud for fear of getting on Mr. Hall's worst mood that morning.
After taking a fifteen-minute nap that class, the bell rang which meant that Christine was going to have Chemistry with her lab partner Thomas. Thomas was incidentally the same guy who "accidentally" dropped the piano on Carlotta on Friday (they still hadn't found the guy responsible).
Meg walked with Christine to her locker to take her Chemistry book out. When she turned the corner and had her locker in sight, she froze.
There was a rose with a ribbon on her lock.
She sometimes thought about her Angel –Erik- all weekend. Her head was also wrapped around the thought that Raoul could probably ask her out.
She didn't get any information out of Meg, but Christine wasn't stupid to know that he liked her. He wanted to tell her. She scolded herself for being so ignorant on Friday night. Now she would never know if that was what he was going to tell her.
She sighed and turned to see Meg's groggy eyes light up.
She practically skipped to the locker and took Christine's rose. When Christine caught up, Meg smiled. "Your secret admirer, I presume? No, wait, it's your Angel, right?"
Christine smiled a little thinking back on what happened after the play. He had taken her down the labyrinth of catacombs and told her about the beauty of the dark, the beauty and music of the night.
He had touched her and she had felt so alive.
She shivered a bit when she thought about how easily his temper flared and how he threw her against the floor.
But Meg continued smiling, she had no idea of what happened, she didn't know.
She flirted with the rose a little then handed it to her. She sighed then said: "I wish I were that lucky."
She had no idea.
Just then someone came up to them.
Christine had to look down to see who it was.
It was Margaret.
"Margaret!" Meg greeted. "How you been?"
"Great!" She shifted anxiously with a piece of paper between her hands.
"What's that?" Christine asked.
She bit her lip. "The review of the school newspaper of Friday's performance of Romeo and Juliet."
Christine's spirit began to rise, her nerves seem to hum with excitement. "It's right there? What did it say?"
She shrugged. "Don't know. I'm too nervous to read it."
"Well," Meg said impatiently. "Read it!"
Margaret shook her head. "Too nervous. I think the star of the show should do it." She handed the paper to Christine.
"Don't look at me," Christine said to her. "If you're nervous, how do you think I am?"
"Someone should read it."
The three girls turned to the voice behind them.
Raoul stood there with his book hag slung over his shoulder. His blond hair was slicked back with gel and the black shirt he was wearing was so tight she could see his biceps.
She turned to hide her blushing cheeks but it was too late, for Meg saw her and she smiled as if she were on Cloud Nine.
Raoul's hand reached out and Margaret handed him the paper.
He leafed through it and when he saw what he was looking for he bent the paper back.
"Let's see, blah blah blah…"
"Don't blah, blah, blah!" Meg said outraged. "Read it right!"
"Fine," he said smiling. "'Shakespeare's famous play Romeo and Juliet was performed last Friday evening by Madame Giry's very talented students. Al though it was the first and only performance of the famous play, the students acted as if they had done it a thousand times.'"
"Damn," Meg said sarcastically. "I wonder what rehearsals are for."
Raoul looked at her indignantly, bothered that she had interrupted him. "May I continue? 'A lot of students and parents were expecting the beautifully talented La Carlotta to play the lead as Juliet but were sadly disappointed when they replaced her due to a sudden illness.'"
Christine swallowed. Hard. They hated it, she thought. They hated it.
Raoul's change of expression confirmed it. "Shit."
Christine's head sagged. She had worked so hard for that role.
Raoul continued but Christine didn't care. "'The audience was surprised to find that La Carlotta, the school's diva was replaced by new comer Christine Daaé, whose performance did not disappoint.'"
Christine's head snapped up. "What?"
He continued. "'Christine Daaé's performance was fresh, hip and just what the old play needed, a fresh new face. Ms. Daaé is just what the drama department needs, someone to turn a work of art into a masterpiece. Al though people were relunctant to hear her sing one of the passages of the play, they were not disappointed, they thoroughly enjoyed it. The rest of the drama department-' Ow, Meg, what the hell?"
Raoul stopped talking because Meg had then smacked him over the back of his head. "Don't do that! Don't scare us into thinking that she did a bad job!"
"The reason I said that was because I never saw so much praise for a one-time performance!"
Christine didn't care that they were fighting. She was praised! They actually liked her performance! This gave her the jump-start she needed to get through the day.
She then decided that during lunch while everyone ate, she was going to go to the Auditorium and visit her Angel, Erik. She needed to tell him.
She entered through the back and walked in, making sure that no one heard her. If any staff member saw her, they would probably give her a detention or something.
She stealthily walked inside and looked around at all the dark corners. She had her book bag over her shoulder and the paper in her hands. She walked out on stage and looked around.
"Erik?" She whispered. "Erik?"
She continued repeating his name but nothing. Not even footsteps.
She turned sighing and when she went to the doors again, she felt hands come up behind her and cover her eyes. "Who is it?"
"My dear Christine," he said softly against her ear. "Have you forgotten your Angel of Music so easily?"
She placed her hands over his. "Erik."
"Yes," he still whispered. "I have not forgotten you."
When he dropped his hands, she turned and placed the school paper in front of her with a smile of pure triumph.
She had forgotten how he looked like. Once during the weekend, she had been convinced that what happened was a dream. But now standing before him, hearing him speak, seeing him in front of her, there was no doubt in her mind that he was real. She could never forget those sky blue eyes or the white porcelain mask.
No, she could by no means overlook that.
At that moment, it seemed to him that the sudden lash of temper never happened.
He looked at the newspaper with a smirk. "Congratulations, Christine. You deserve it."
"You deserve all the credit," she said to him.
He smiled, showing off his pearly whites. "All I care is for your praise, Christine." He lightly touched her cheek making her shut her eyes, he whispered tenderly. "The angels wept the night you sang."
She opened her eyes and couldn't help but smile. "Thank you."
"I have news for you," He told her as if it were a secret. He placed his cold hands on her shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I overheard Madame Giry speaking to André and she said that they will do a musical. The decision for the lead is between you and Carlotta." He said Carlotta's name as if it weren't something mentioned in polite society. Then he shook his head. "How would you like to get the lead?"
Christine let out a small gasp. "How would I like it? I would like it just fine. I'd love it! Did Madame Giry say I could have it?"
He placed a lock of hair behind her ear. "All she needs is convincing. I can take care of that."
"Really? That'd be-"
A sudden noise cut her off and made her look back. Then she heard voices, one that she recognized as Raoul's.
Erik rolled his blue eyes. "The fop is back. Great."
She inwardly giggled at Raoul's nickname. "That must mean the bell rang. I shouldn't be here."
Erik nodded. "I agree."
But she didn't want to leave. She couldn't tear herself away from him. She didn't want to leave him.
He seemed to read her mind. He pulled her close and gently touched her cheek. "Remember what I said to you the first night, Christine. I will never leave you."
She closed her eyes and smiled. "I don't want you to."
Suddenly his hand wasn't there anymore and she found herself once again alone. She looked for her book bag and when she found it, she placed it on her shoulder and left the auditorium.
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