Sorry, I don't have time to answer reviews today. Real sorry, but I have a job now, and I have to concider that. Sorry, real, real sorry. Love ya!

Chapter 45- Wasted Tears

The Masquerade scene went fairly well, other than the fact that Michelle was only mouthing her words. Michelle's sister was a better singer than her, technically, but she had no passion.

The reprise for 'Notes' was well done, except that Michelle hadn't caught onto lip-syncing to her sister's words, yet. She wasn't the best actress to begin with, but to put on top of it that the tone of the words which seemed to come out of her mouth and the expression on her face didn't match only hindered her further.

Annie stood center stage and spoke her favorite line in the play, "Little Lotte thought of everything and nothing. Her father promised her he would send her the angel of music…." She felt a tear roll down her face. She was so into the performance, yet Jayden was still in the back of her mind. "Her father promised her…."

She opened her mouth and as she sang, thinking of her own father, she let a few tears fall down her rosy cheeks. "You were once, my one companion. You were all that mattered." She sighed, remembering her father playing the violin for her at her eighth birthday party. "You were once a friend and father, then my world was shattered…"

Annie breathed deeply. "Wishing you were somehow here again. Wishing you were somehow near." She sighed. "Sometimes it seemed, if I just dreamed, somehow you would be here." She smiled, thinking of her father and herself buying her a dress for her first date. "Wishing I could hear your voice again…" Her expression turned sad, and lonely. "Knowing that I never would… Dreaming of you, won't help me to do all that you dreamed I could."

Annie walked to her position on the stage. "Passing bells and sculpted angels: cold and monumental. Seem, for you, the wrong companions. You were warm and gentle."

She had reached her place, and her voice was full, beautiful and emotional. "Too many years, fighting back tears. Why can't the past just die?" The music rose to the climax and Annie collapsed to her knees, far before she was scripted to do so. "No more memories, no more silent tears. No more gazing across the wasted years." She breathed, unsteadily, just as she was suppose to. "Help me say… goodbye… Help me say… Goodbye!"

Jayden's dark figure was lurched around her. She knew that he was watching. She knew that he would try something now, while she was thinking of her father, but then again, he couldn't do anything in front of all these people…

"Wandering child, so lost, so helpless. Yearning for my guidance." His dark figure sang.

"Angel or father, friend or phantom, who is it there, staring?"

"Have you forgotten your Angel?"

"Angel, oh, speak, what endless longings echo in this whisper?" She sang a little more enthused than she had meant to.

"Too long you've wandered in winter…."

"Once again she is his…" Josh's beautiful, and loving voice sang from behind her. Annie loved hearing him sing his lines, even if someone else had written them.

"Far from my far-reaching gaze…" Jayden finished.

"Once again she returns…" Josh told the audience.

"Wildly my mind beats against you…" Annie sang.

"You resist…" Jayden's voice boomed.

"Yet your/the soul obeys." They finished beautifully together.

"To the arms of her angel…" Josh sang. Once again he continued while Annie and Jayden sang their part together. "Angel or demon...still he calls her... luring her back, from the grave...angel or dark seducer...? Who are you, strange angel"
"Angel of Music! You/I denied me/you, turning from true beauty... Angel of Music! (Do not shun me) / (My protector)...Come to your/me strange Angel…" She could almost feel Jayden's hand on her arm, and the chills of horror ran up her spine. She decided then and there that she didn't believe him. He had done all those horrible thing. He had sabotaged Michelle, and he had tried to kill Josh.

"I am your Angel of Music...Come to me: Angel of Music…" He sang, his burning eyes attempting to hold her in.

"Angel of darkness! Cease this torment!" Josh yelled, melodiously.

"I am your Angel of Music...Come to me: Angel of Music…" Jayden sang, reaching for her, his hand outstretched. She ignored him, and turned to Josh. Josh held her by her forearms and stared into her eyes. She acted as if she wasn't quite listening to him, but he could tell that she was.

They finished the scene and continued on. Annie's stomach began to churn as they reached the final scene, 'Don Juan'.