Thank you for all the great reviews! Okay, seeing as how my story is nothing like the book, I'll continue at it, adding my own little spin. ;) Thank you for bearing with me with all the errors I've made in the story, there's too many to count... Anyways. glad you all like it, okay here's Chapter Sixteen:


Masquerade

Days passed since the night of the Grease play for the Mayor. Ever since then, no one could figure out who it was that killed Joseph but rumors began to spread. And as much as Christine hated to admit it, they were right.

The rumor was that the Phantom of the Auditorium did it, out of revenge. But no one mentioned the letter, not even the drama students. No one knew that it was her fault. But then again, no one knew about Raoul confessing his love to her. Not even Meg.

They decided to go to the Midnight Masquerade on Prom together.

They did a memorial for Joseph during that week and when Christine saw her crying classmates, she cried too.

It was a good thing Raoul was there, he was the one holding her, making sure that she didn't fall to the floor from grief or anything. She was grateful for him.

She knew that in the time that it took to mourn Joseph she couldn't very well just out and out say, "oh, by the way, while everyone was getting Joseph's body down after the play, Raoul and I declared our love for each other". She knew that it would take time for people to know what happened between them.

After all that, after the crying and worrying, she could only think of one thing. Her Angel.

She hated, loathed him. She hated him for killing in her name. Using her like he did.

But for that night, she was going to forget all that. The Midnight Masquerade was for fun. She was going to have a good time if it killed her.

Madame Giry had to leave early to chaperone and Meg left with her date minutes before. Christine just couldn't seem to get herself up and go. Raoul had been waiting for her patiently downstairs.

He understood what he was going through, he understood that she would come to terms with what happened in time.

Christine looked at herself in the mirror. She had her hair loose with glitter and snaps in them. It all matched with her silvery-blue dress, which Madame Giry thought was too short and Meg though was just perfect.

The Prom was called Midnight Masquerade for a reason, everyone had to wear a mask, but she couldn't bare it. She couldn't wear masks, not now.

Hearing a light knock on the bathroom door, she opened it to find Raoul.

"Are you ready?"

Christine bit her lip. "Yeah, I'm ready."


The gym was spectacularly decorated. There were streamers all over the roof and doors. Balloons were all over the place and as childish as it seemed at first, it made it look beautiful. She hated to admit it but Carlotta and the dance committee did a good job.

Christine sighed and looked around the large gym. As much as she wanted to enjoy the night, she felt uneasy. Somehow she knew that something bad was going to happen.

A girl ran up to her. Her hair was blow dried straight and had golden snaps in it. Her mask was gold even her eyes were gold. You could tell she was wearing hazel contacts.

"Christine! Raoul!"

Christine squinted trying to recognize the girl.

"Oh, God," she said. "Don't tell me you don't recognize me." She looked at Raoul amazed. "The girl lives with me and she doesn't even recognize me."

"Meg?"

She smiled. "Yes, well, darling, isn't it obvious?"

Raoul laughed. "You'd think this girl would be doing drugs the way she's so detached from everything."

Christine hugged her friend. "I didn't recognize you! You look great! What are you supposed to be?"

She shrugged. "Really don't know. This is the result of a lot gold eye shadow and lot's of free time."

"You look really great," Christine complimented again.

"What are you two supposed to be? A couple?"

Raoul started. "As a matter of fact-"

"Nothing, really," Christine broke in.

Raoul looked at her quizzically. "Nothing?"

"Well," Christine said quickly. "I'm supposed to be an angel."

Meg didn't notice the death stare that Raoul was giving Christine. "And you, Monsieur?"

Raoul shook his head. "Like Christine said. Nothing."

"Well," Meg said looking back at the dance. "I'm going to dance. We're only young once."

Then she turned and left with a spring in her step.

Christine had been dreading her departure because that meant Raoul and her were going to be alone. Now he was going to demand why she didn't tell her about them being a couple.

"Why didn't you tell her?"

Christine let out a breath she wasn't aware that she was holding. "It'll be our secret. Won't it be more exciting that way?"

Raoul shook his head. "Christine, you said yes for a reason. And I asked you for a reason and it wasn't so that we should go in secret and not do things that couples do."

Raoul started to pull away from her hands.

Christine pulled him back. "Look, I'm sorry. With everything that's been going on, I guess that I need -time?- to sort everything else. You know with Joseph's death and all and the Ph-"

Raoul placed his finger on her lips. "I know you need time. I'm sorry if I'm rushing into things."

Christine whispered. "Don't be ridiculous."

Raoul smiled. "At least you're wearing the ring I gave you. It's not on your finger-"

Christine had put the ring on a silver chain and clasped it around her neck. She frowned, feeling bad for him. He really did care for her. She just was scared. Really scared for herself and for him

Yes, the Phantom was her Angel. But the Phantom killed someone, she said to herself. He killed Joseph, one of her friends. She saw him throw him off the catwalk. She couldn't bare the thought of the same thing happening to Raoul.

Christine could only shrug.

"At least it's on," he finished. When he saw the hesitation on her face, he placed his hands on her cheeks. "He won't harm you," he whispered. "Not as long as I'm around. I promise."

Christine smiled and he kissed her forehead. "I'll get you some punch. Hopefully no one has spiked it yet."

Christine chuckled and watched him leave her.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time. It was a great idea having this party. It was sort of in Joseph's honor. He was always applauding life. It would be no fair to him that they mourn his death and postpone the prom. Almost everyone in the junior and senior classes were in the packed gym. And Christine began to enjoy herself until an icy hand grabbed her neck from behind.

She didn't even see it coming. One moment she was swaying to the music, the next someone came up from behind and placed their large hand over her jugular. She should have known who it was from the beginning, his hands when he touched her were always cold.

She tried to turn to see who it was, but he wouldn't let her. When she was watching everyone dance she had her hands folded in front of her, now he had both her hands in his one palm. When she looked down she saw that he was wearing black gloves.

I should have seen it coming, she scolded herself.

"No mask, Miss Daaé?" He asked her. His voice sounded rough and insincere, not at all like when she first met him.

Al though she was scared, she didn't let him see it. "I've learned I have grown tired of masks."

He chuckled. "I suppose I am too."

"What do you want?" She said almost scared, her façade fading."Christine," he said sweetly. "I don't know why you fear me."

It took a lot of herself not to turn around and slap him across his porcelain mask. "You know perfectly well why."

"Joseph meant nothing to you," he said confident. "Now, if I were to do something to that date of yours-"

"Don't you dare!" she spat.

"Ah," he said understanding. "I see how it is. You see my true nature and you cower in fear."
Who wouldn't? she asked herself.

"My dear Christine, I do not wish to harm you although I did at one point."

"What is it that you want?"

"An audience with your peers," he said. "This is my auditorium. I will say how things will be run. I have work for all of you."

"You sound like a child," Christine said to him.

He didn't do anything, he only said, "One would act like a child when their heart has been broken."

She was about to say something when she felt his icy hand move. The one at her neck moved lower and lower.

She closed her eyes and cringed at his touch, but he wouldn't stop, he kept going lower and lower. Until he stopped and pulled at something that hung around her neck. She flinched but was grateful when he finally let go.

She touched her neck and felt that it was no longer warm but icy cold. How could his hands be so cold?

She turned and looked around the people leaning against the walls. She couldn't see him anywhere. She turned to her other side and saw nothing.

"Christine?"

Christine jumped at the mere mention of her name.

Raoul looked at her with compassion. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Christine looked at his hands and saw he had gotten the drinks like he said he would. He had no idea at what happened. "He-he was here."

"What?" Raoul asked outraged. "He's here?"

Christine nodded. "He was here just now. I don't know where he went."

Raoul placed the cups in some kid's hands. The kid said a few bad words and placed them on a table, mad.

But it seemed that Raoul didn't care, he took her gently by her upper arms. "What happened? What did he say?"

Christine took a deep breath. "He said that he had a job for us. For all of us."

"What job?"

"I don't kn-"

Christine stopped at that moment. The music that was previously blaring on the speakers suddenly stopped. Then all conversations ceased and all eyes were at the platform where they were going to announce greatest costume. Because there as if in a spotlight, was the Phantom of the Auditorium.

By now, rumors had spread about Joseph's death and how he was murdered. Everyone knew that the man before them was the one that murdered Joseph. At first Christine had always thought that all of Joseph's friends would attack him in outrage. But no one moved. Christine could hardly move herself.

He looked so terrifying. So inhuman.

He had replaced his porcelain white mask with the face of skull. But he didn't bother with the jaw, the mask covered from his nose up. His eyes were caked with black make up to give the effect that they were the skull's eyes. But even from the other side of the gym, Christine could see his shocking blue eyes that held her entranced when she first saw him.

Christine had seen other guys wearing a skeleton costume. Complete with a body suit that resembled bones, but he didn't bother. He was wearing a scarlet outfit. It was perfect for him as if it had been tailored especially for him. She knew what he was trying to do. He was imitating the Red Death.

She had read the Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe earlier that year. He wore it on purpose, to strike terror into everyone's hearts.

It worked.

Christine glanced at Raoul. Raoul looked as if he would pull out a knife and kill him right then. She prevented this by placing her hand in his.

"I knew I would catch your attention."

Christine swallowed. She had hardly heard him say it.

She felt Raoul start to slip from her grip. She took it in his again.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I wanted to request and audience with you," his eyes met hers but she would not look away. "I have a job for you. For the drama department in fact." He looked around. "I know you are all here. Well," he chuckled, "all except dear Joseph."

Raoul began to advance.

Christine reached out for Raoul but only got a handful of jacket but followed him anyways.

"Ah," the Phantom said, with dead calm. "Monsieur de Chagny, I see you are Miss Daaé's date. I have a special job for you."

He reached inside his cloak and Raoul stopped. Christine stopped too, frozen.

He's going to pull out a gun, that was Christine's first thought. He's going to kill someone right here. He had already threatened to do something to Raoul.

Raoul was thinking the same thing because in the next second he stepped in front of Christine.

To protect me, she realized.

But she knew the Phantom wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Not physically, anyways.

But what he pulled out was the last thing in Christine's mind.

A book. No, a journal. What the hell is it?

He threw it on the ground. "Don Juan Triumphant. This is an opera that the drama students will perform. If not, well then let's just say that what happened to Joseph was an appetizer compared to what's going to happen next."

Christine didn't know what to say. But she knew that he didn't care what she had to say.

"Mr. James Rhodes will play the lead as Don Juan. Miss Christine Daaé will also play lead as Aminta." He looked at Christine again. No, she realized he was looking at Raoul. "You will fund the opera just as you have done with the others." Then he looked to his right. "Madame Giry, you have very talented pupils."

Christine didn't know that Madame Giry was there. But she couldn't look away from the Phantom. It was impossible to. He was drawing all the attention from everyone in the room.

"That is my order to you. As for the rest of you, I would come. Things are going to get very interesting."

Christine looked around and noticed that a lot of kids were murmuring. Then she noticed that a bunch of the guys were taking off their jackets. The football team.

Oh, shit, she thought. They're going to kill him for killing Joseph.

The Phantom noticed but didn't seem to care, he spoke calmly again. "I'll take that as my cue to go." He placed his hand up and waved with his fingers. Something shiny flashed in his palm, something familiar. "Ta-ta." His other hand raised, then threw something to the ground. Smoke started to cloud the platform and surround him.

The football team began to run to the platform. When they reached it, they stepped on it and looked around confused.

He was gone. He pulled a Houdini and used the red smoke as a diversion as he escaped.

Christine's thought went back to the thing he had in his hand. The shiny thing. She knew he flashed it to her on purpose, he wanted her to see it. He wanted her to recognize it. Then two seconds later, she did.

She reached for her neck and felt around.

Her ring. He had taken Raoul's ring.


So how did you guys like the chapter? How was Erik? Was he to character? Thank you.