6) There may be something there that wasn´t there before
Nothing in Meg´s life had ever felt as good as this kiss. It was somehow awkward, but she guessed that was normal. After all, it was her first kiss. This detail was something even her best friend Christine didn´t know. Being slightly older than her, Meg had always paid much attention to sounding mature. But all this was not important at the moment. She concentrated entirely on the feeling of his lips. They were rough and cold, and she wanted to warm them with her own.
Erik was startled as her mouth met his. This couldn´t be happening. Maybe it was a dream. But as his dreams – if he had any, that is – never contained anything positive he drew the conclusion that it was real. He felt like he had had while watching Meg last night, only that his emotions were much stronger, now that they had actual bodily contact.
A part of him longed for Meg to go on, to kiss him over and over again, to tell him sweet and comforting words of love. The other part, however, kept making remarks like: ´What is she doing? What are you doing? You love Christine, and only her! What would she say if she saw you like this?´. Erik broke the kiss, regretting it the second her did so.
Meg looked at him, disappointed. "Why… why did you stop?", she asked. "I… you… you and I…", he stammered without having the slightest idea what to say. She moved away from him as she felt how tense he suddenly was, as if her mere presence bothered him. "I´m sorry. I shouldn´t have surprised you like that. I… I´m in love with you.", she muttered. After a second she added: "Perhaps I should have better told you that first.".
This confession shocked Erik more than the kiss. He knew that he wasn´t in love with her. His heart belonged to Christine and it would never be different. But before he had the chance to say so his hands had already seized her shoulders, holding her with an almost painfully strong grip. He kissed her again, forcing her mouth open with his tongue, wanting to taste her. Meg´s eyes widened in surprise about his sudden determination. Finally Erik´s mind regained control over him, and he let go off Meg. Without as much as giving her an explanation he left.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
During the ballet lesson the next afternoon Meg still had difficulties in understanding how things could have developed like this between Erik and her. First he had been shy and self-conscious and in the next second almost aggressive. Her mother had told her about the Phantom´s mood swings, but she would have never expected them to be that extreme. Moreover, Meg didn´t know how to go on. Should she try to approach him again or wait for him to make the next step?
Christine, who was standing right next to her, looked at her friend out of the corner of her eye. Erik´s odd behaviour had been their first and only topic all day, but she couldn´t offer an explanation either. She was still trying to cope with the fact that Meg and Erik had kissed. Twice! Christine had dreamed of kissing Erik for such a long time, and her best friend just came along and took matters in her own hands…
"Meg Giry! Have you paid attention?" Mme.Giry´s piercing voice made all girls straighten up immediately. Meg nodded hastily. The ballet teacher threw her daughter a cold glance. "Would you be so kind as to show us the dance sequence I´ve explained to you for the last minutes?" Frantically searching for help she turned to Christine, but she only shrugged and shook her head slightly. She had been lost in thought as well.
Meg took two hesitant steps forward, so that she stood in the middle of the stage. "Maman, I…" She was on the verge of telling her that she had no idea what to do when she felt a nudge in the ribs and almost lost her balance. Nicole, one of the most ambitious chorus girls, had simply pushed her aside. "Let me do it!", she hissed. "I can do this much better than-" Her sentence ended with a scream as she fell through a trapdoor which had just opened in the floor.
All girls rushed forward to see what had happened. "Are you all right, Nicole?", one of them asked anxiously, kneeling down next to the hole. Nicole´s voice sounded tremulous when she replied: "Yes, I´m fine. Fortunately I landed on this pile of curtains we used for the last opera.". "M.Buquet!", Mme.Giry called. "We need a ladder on stage. Now!"
Erik watched the scene from Box Five. He was angry and dissatisfied with himself. This hadn´t worked too well. Next time he had to make sure a thing like that didn´t happen. After allowing himself one moment of gazing at the woman he loved and placing a note on one of the chairs he disappeared.
