Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom of the Opera or UCF, and characters in the story are meant to resemble those of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gaston Leroux but are otherwise my own. The plot is mine. I accept constructive criticism, and if there are any mechanical or spelling errors, I'll be happy to be informed of them as well!

This bus could not be more packed, a girl thought glumly from her cramped position between a window and rather large and boisterous seat-mate. She pushed sweaty brown curls from her face and prayed that the bus would be stopping sometime soon.

Please, God, I don't know if my frazzled nerves can take much more…

She let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes briefly as the lumbering vehicle pulled up at the entrance to the main campus of UCF in Orlando. Shuffling out into the aisle with her purse clutched close, the young woman stepped off the bus to face the front building, winking at her in a mixture of bright concrete and hot Florida sun.

Just 17 and she was off to college, thanks to a late birthday and advancement from 7th to 9th grade. But she didn't care, it was as good an experience as any when you—

"Hey, Christine!" That thought fled as Christine had the mind knocked out of her by a speeding ball of blue.

"Look at you, Meg! Blue suits you well you know."

The other girl stood back to take a good look at her friend. "As does that lovely lavender on you, dear." She giggled, then pulled the other girl into another crushing hug. "I missed you!"

"Meg… I'm …getting crushed…"

"Oops, sorry."

"Besides, it's only been, what, two months?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow at her pal as they began strolling to a bench by the grass. "Easy for you to say, after coming back from missions in Europe! And Scotland at that!"

Christine smirked at the dreamy look on Meg's face. "Yes, but I'm sure you didn't spend the entire time lounging around with nothing to do." Meg smiled shyly and Christine's grin widened. "It's Jeremy, isn't it?"

Meg nodded, a faint blush at her cheeks.

Christine squealed. "Oh, I knew it! Are you two officially a couple now?"

Meg clasped her friend's hands in her own and stood up, a devilish grin on her face. "Come on, I have the key to out dorms, and your parents stopped your stuff by last week. Let's unpack and I'll tell you everything."

As the girls giggled and briskly strode together, they did not notice two amber-gold eyes peering at them from the shadows of a nearby building. They were alert to everything surrounding the area, but their main focus was one of the girls— Christine Daaé.

"So… tell me!" Christine leaned over on the bed to face Meg, sincere happiness for her friend in her sparkling blue eyes.

"Well… you know Jeremy, he's kinda shy— but really nice! And he asked me to go get some coffee at Starbucks with him when we were just friends, and when were there he just… asked. If I'd be a little more than a friend." Once again, Christine squealed.

"Go on!"

"Of course I said yes. Jeremy's a wonderful guy and I feel something between us. And then we laid down some ground rules, so we both knew where to stand." The brunette nodded.

"That's right, Jeremy's a Christian, too, right?"

"Yeah." …Another dreamy look, and then, "— He agreed that we should group date and that kinda thing, and I'm so glad he does!"

"… Because I will personally make sure you don't date guys who aren't Christians, Meg, and you know it!" Both girls laughed. "Don't get tied into a relationship where you have different moral values— it's too hard to meet halfway on that sort of thing."

"Besides, Christine, why don't you have a guy to bring you chocolate on the weekends?" Christine smiled and shrugged. "The guys we know are great and all, but… they're my friends, not more. I'll wait until the time is right, I think."

They dissolved into the local talk and family news as the dorm began shaping up to look a little closer to home.

A shadow lurking outside of the door pulled its ear away, satisfied with the information to be had from listening on the conversation. She has no ties to other… boys. Perhaps I can be the Angel she's looking for? Miss Christine Daaé won't see the demon until it's too late. And by then, no angel will be able to save her.

Yes, I know I have "Why" going on, but it isn't going anywhere! So I'm trying this!

Erik- Yeah! Go Eccentric Poet::snarks at dark!Erik forshadowing in the chapter:
Me- :groan: Nooooo!
Erik- :smirk-ness: Bwahahahaha...
Me-I thought I got rid of CommentErik on the other story::ponders: Oh well::glomp:
Erik-:gasp: I... can't... breathe...
Me- Review, or Erik shall forever be locked on the Glomp of Doom!