Kadaj- Hey! Thanks for the stalking, but I have a stalker already and you will have to compete with him for my undying attention.
The Angel's Maggie- She is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO not lying! She really loves him! But she is just soooooo confused! Yes, I know Jayden friggin rules! I thought you might like to know that the other today, I was handing out invites to my birthday party, and my teacher asked meifhe was invited, and then I told him it was a pool party, and he didn't want to come anymore, but still, he had wanted to come for a minute... (I almost had him)
Emma-J-Riddle- There will be 'getting together' don't worry!
Sirius All Punked- I am not a great R/C supporter, but I'm not sure if there will be too much more action... maybe I'll just kill off Josh...hehehehehehe!
Pirating Elven Pyro- Yay! I'm entertaining!
Maluruloki- Yay! I'm explaining! Yes, Josh is nice Raoul, not mean Raoul, as I think Raoul is too much of a sissy man to be very mean.
Gerry ISU Chick 04- Yes, girls randomly kicking Hayden may happen!
India Pyro- I don't think anyone in my Phic will be dumping guys all together.
Maska- I liek Josh.. he just isn't very... bright. I love Jayden. I think is he one of my favorite Characters that I have ever written. She won't say anything. Well, duh she enjoyed the kiss, it was with Jayden!
RoSeQuEen- I don't think I would be too confused, but my discision would be Josh, just for all of you guys' info, however in "The Return" my choice might have been Christian, but hen...he died... hehehehe... murder!
Chapter 24- All I Ask of You
The next week of rehearsal's were very awkward, as Annie was trying to avoid both Josh and Jayden, and every time Josh or Jayden saw the other, they would glare, and mumble. Each thought the other owned Annie's heart. Annie wasn't sure herself, which one really did.
Mr. Reyser complained that the acting had no passion, and that the love scenes all seemed inexpressive. Annie apologized several times. This week they were to start the first of the kissing scenes: the roof top scene.
Annie climbed onto the stage, wondering if she could really do this. She watched Josh come onto stage. He looked amazing in his simple jeans and his tight black "Guns 'n' Roses" tee. Annie sadly looked at him, knowing that he loved her, and hating that she couldn't just make herself love him the way he loved her.
"Go!" Yelled Mr. Reyser.
"Why have you brought me here!" Josh sang, with emotion.
"We can't go back there." She said, turning toward him.
"We must return." He declared.
"He'll kill us. His eyes will find me there…" She sang, thinking of Jayden's ever-seeing eyes.
"Christine don't say that." She heard.
"Those eyes that burn." She sang, knowing that Jayden would know by the way her voice shook, that she was think of him.
"Don't even think it." She tried not to.
"And if he has to kill a thousand men…" Jayden had tried to kill Josh hadn't he, or was that just an accident…?
"Forget this waking nightmare." She tried again, unsuccessfully.
"The Phantom of the Opera will kill, and kill again." She sang, trying to ignore her thoughts of Jayden.
"This Phantom is a fable… believe me. There is no Phantom of the Opera." He said, and Annie believed him, she stared at Josh. She thought only of him. Her thoughts of Jayden's haunting eyes, disappearing.
"My god who is this man…" Now acting as if she was afraid, because Josh was protecting her and she knew it.
"My god who is this man?" He repeated
"Who hunts to kill?"
"This mask of death."
"I can't escape from him…" She didn't feel like that right now.
"Who is this voice you hear?" He asked, and she almost asked herself the same question.
"I never will." She finished.
"With every breath."
They joined in together. "And in this labyrinth were night is blind. The Phantom of the Opera is there/ere inside your/my mind."
"There is no Phantom of the Opera." Josh said again, and again she believed him.
Yet with all sincerity she sang, "Raoul, I've been there. To his world of unending night. To a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness, darkness…" She stared at him, feeling as if he had received her message, she continued. "Raoul, I've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that face so distorted deformed, it was hardly a face in the darkness, darkness."
As scripted, she turned from him, and stared off into space, singing, "But his voice filled my spirit with a strange sweet sound. In that night there was music in my mind, and through music my soul began to soar and I heard as I never heard before."
"What you heard was a dream and nothing more."
"Yet in his eyes, all the sadness of the world…" She mustn't think about Jayden's eyes. "Those pleading eyes, that both threaten and adore."
"Christine, Christine…"
Somewhere off stage Jayden called to her. "Christine…"
Annie ignored him. She watched Josh come toward her. He led her away from the direction Jayden's voice had come from.
"No more talk of darkness," Annie had completely forgotten about Jayden. She watched Josh. She listened to him, and felt herself falling for him. "Forget these wide-eyed fears. I'm here, nothing can harm you my words will warm and calm you." She was completely calm. "Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears. I'm here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you . . ."
"Say you love me every waking moment," She clasped his hand, and he looked down at it in surprise. As he looked up she sang again, a significant look on her face. "Turn my head with talk of summertime . . ." He nodded in understanding. "Say you need me with you, now and always . . . Promise me that all you say is true - that's all I ask of you . . ."
"Let me be your shelter, let me be your light." He grabbed her, in a loving and protective embrace. "You're safe: No-one will find you, your fears are far behind you..."
"All I want is freedom," She knew with Josh she would have that. "A world with no more night... and you always beside me to hold me and to hide me . . ." She pulled back just enough to look him in the eye.
"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude…" If only he knew how much she wanted him to led her. "Say you need me with you here, beside you." She knew she did. "Anywhere you go, let me go too - Christine, that's all I ask of you…"
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime . . . say the word and I will follow you . . ."
Again they joined in together. "Share each day with me, each night, each morning…"
"Say you love me…" She said and he could see that she meant it.
He smiled, "You know I do…" She knew he meant it, as he had already said it.
They both sang, each meaning every word. "Love me - that's all I ask of you…"
They embraced once more, and their lips met in a great passionate kiss. Annie didn't care who saw. She threw her arms around him, and was visibly disappointed when they had to let go on cue. They sang together again, each of them feeling the other's heartbeat. "Anywhere you go let me go too… Love me - that's all I ask of you…" The script called for another kiss, and they were both glad to do it.
Annie was angry to have to keep gong but she did anyway. "I must go - they'll wonder where I am … wait for me, Raoul!"
Skipping the name, he sang loudly, "I love you!"
"Order your fine horses! Be with them at the door!"
"And soon you'll be beside me!"
"You'll guard me, and you'll guide me…" They exited, and when they had gone, Josh kissed her backstage.
A mournful song came from onstage, and Annie turned in horror to watch Jayden finish the reprise. "I gave you my music, made your song take wing, and now, how you've repaid me…denied me and betrayed me." He let a few tears fall, and Annie felt a little guilty twinge. "He was bound to love you, When he heard you sing, Christine…"
Not missing the cue Josh and Annie started, "Say you'll share with me one love one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you, share each day with me, each night each morning…"
Annie jumped as Jayden Sang, with power and anger, "You will curse the day you did not do…All that the Phantom asked of you!"
She heard a whisper in her ear, "I meant every word of that." Josh said.
She turned to him, brining him down to kiss her, and when they released, she said, "So did I."
She turned to see Jayden watching her from across the stage, behind the curtain, on the other side. His face looked slightly emotionless, but in his eyes, even from such a distance, Annie could see the fire.