A/N: OH MY GOOD LORD! I AM SO SORRY! I DID NOT forget this story; I just had to let it go for awhile because my grades started slipping not long after I wrote this, so my free time was greatly limited. I now have an entire summer free, and I SWEAR to you that I will continue this, no matter what! (Well, unless no one reads it) Please don't think I'm some sort of mean, terrible author, because I'm not! Thank you to everyone who reviewed Chapter One, by the way! I hope that you will continue reading! Now, ON WITH THE STORY! (Finally lol)
Chapter Two
Life in an opera house was far more hectic that Amandine had bargained for. Every morning she was expected to wake up promptly at 6AM to ensure her readiness for practice, which began at 8. After hours of warm-ups and general practicing, she had only three hours time to eat lunch and enjoy leisure time before evening rehearsals, which began at 4.
It was during this time that Amandine had an open opportunity to make idle chatter with her fellow performers and dig for information, as most of the attention during these hours was put on those with leading roles. During her first week at the Opera Populaire, Amandine was disheartened to learn that only a handful of the original staff remained: A couple of catty ballet girls; a quiet chorus girl named Raquel; the ballet mistress, Madame Giry; and her daughter, Meg. It appeared that everyone else was too frightened to stay.
According to the rumors she'd heard, Meg Giry was once Christine Daae's best friend and was still in contact with the now-Viscountess. Though somewhat reserved, Meg had a friendly face and a warm smile. The beautiful little ballerina seemed almost frightened to warm up to new people; she rarely spoke to anyone but her mother. Amandine knew that it would be a challenge, but this was certainly the best place to start.
Getting to know the young Giry was one thing. Getting her to open up was another. Hard as Amandine tried to befriend her, Meg seemed very reluctant to form a relationship with the outgoing new chorus member. Amandine was fairly certain that her sudden interest had given the girl several suspicions… many of which may not have been untrue. But if there was one thing Amandine was sure of herself for, it was this: she would NEVER give up. After almost two weeks of shy smiles and idle chat about the weather and rehearsals, she finally managed to break through the emotional barrier which separated them.
"Excuse me," Amandine turned to meet a pair of bright, eager eyes, staring at her hopefully from a frame of silky blond hair. Amandine's mouth curved slightly at the corners. "Yes?" Meg seemed to hesitate. "Um…well, I was just wondering if you'd like to come up to my room after rehearsal…for a cup of tea…" The smile on Amandine's face grew. "Finally!" she thought. "That sounds lovely!" Her reply sounded a bit too enthusiastic, but the young ballerina didn't seem to notice.
XXXXXX
"What's that?" Amandine asked. She gestured towards an already-open envelope which lay upon the oak desk. The two girls had spent many afternoons together and had finally formed a strong friendship. Amandine learned that Meg Giry was actually a very funny and outgoing girl, once you earned her trust. They now sat in the Giry's small apartment, sipping tea and gossiping, which is how their evenings usually went. The question was meant as simply conversational. She expected the usual girlish giggle, followed by an honest reply. What she did not expect was for the girl's face to immediately lose its color and her speech to become quick and snappy.
"It's nothing." Meg quickly thrust the letter into the nearest drawer, closing it abruptly with a shaking hand. Amandine's soothing hand found Meg's shoulder. "It's okay. You can tell me." She gave an encouraging smile as her friend sighed and opened the drawer. "It's a letter." She whispered. "From a friend." She did not continue. Without thinking, Amandine said the first thing that came to her mind. "From Christine?" "Damn!" She inwardly cursed herself, but was relieved when Meg appeared unperturbed.
"Yes, from Christine…I imagine you know everything, don't you? Everyone does…" she paused. "I'm sorry. I just don't like talking about it, except with my mother. It brings back too many memories…" her voice suddenly trailed off. Amandine felt a pang of guilt at her desire for information, yet she was unable to fight temptation. "How is she doing? Is she alright? After…what happened?" Without looking up from the letter in her hands, Meg nodded slowly. "She sounds so happy, Amandine! She's even told me that she's expecting a child…isn't that lovely?" Her deep blue eyes finally met Amandine's striking green ones. Even in the soft candlelight, the unshed tears in Meg's were unmistakable.
"What's wrong then? You said she sounded happy!" Amandine was dying to learn more. Meg stifled a sob as she continued. "Oh, she does! Every letter is so full of joy! And yet…she always asks…she always wants to know about…" She paused to sniff and shake her head, as if chasing some terrible thought from her mind. "Sometimes I worry, that's all. Sometimes I worry that she can't just let the past go…" Without warning, Meg's eyes widened, as if suddenly realizing what she had said.
The letter was once again thrust into the drawer as she hurriedly wiped her eyes. "I'm just being silly, that's all." She gave Amandine a reassuring smile. "Forget I said anything." Her eyes searched the room, as if looking for an excuse to change the subject. They fell upon the tea kettle, still full of hot water. "More tea?" she asked brightly. Amandine smiled slowly. "Yes, please." She held out her cup, her eyes unfocused. Truth be told, Amandine could care less about tea at the moment. Christine missed her teacher, that much she knew. It was obvious that Meg was not telling all that she knew. Still, it was a start.
That night, safe within her dormitory, after all the others had fallen asleep, she silently lit a candle beside her bed and took out a quill and a piece of parchment paper from beneath her bed. With only the single candle and the soft glow of the moon to light her way, she began to write. The candlelight flickered and danced over her determined face, giving her a somewhat ethereal glow. Her emerald eyes sparkled and shined with excitement and desire. Amandine truly appeared as a woman possessed…and maybe she was; Possessed with curiosity, a need, and a hunger for knowledge.
That night, she made her decision. Somehow, some way, she would meet this mysterious masked man in the flesh.
XXXXXX
Almost two months after she moved into the infamous Opera Populaire and two weeks before opening night of the theatre's first opera since "Don Juan", an even took place that would completely change Amandine's life. Whether it would be for better or for worse was yet to be determined.
It happened during evening rehearsals when Catalina Cousteau, the theatre's leading soprano, was performing her big aria from act three. While everyone was listening with rapt attention, they noticed another sound, from above. It was a chorus member's scream that caught the diva's attention. A stagehand had been balancing on a rafter when it had begun to creak and groan, most likely due to his weight. As he scrambled to climb off, the board snapped. The crowd below watched in horror as the stagehand and immense rafter plummeted to the stage.
The stagehand lay to the side, unconscious with the rafter lying across his chest. Catalina was still conscious, at least. This was made apparent by her continuous shouts of pain and frustration. The intelligible words that were laced within her ceaseless groaning and crying seemed to indicate that her leg was injured. Upon further inspection by a doctor, it was confirmed: her leg was broken.
Left without a star and with the performance only weeks away, the managers decided that auditions to fill the role would take place the next day, in the stead of regular rehearsals. Many of the chorus girls giggled and gossiped at the idea, hoping that they would finally get their chance in the spotlight. Amandine was shocked to find herself secretly longing for the role as well. She had already gotten a bit of information out of the ballet girl…and it seemed that she was the only one willing to talk about any of the events from the previous year. It was useless to remain in the chorus any longer. Why not become the star her parents had always dreamed of? Surely that would not prevent her from working on her novel… maybe it would prove useful, in time.
The next morning dawned bright and early for Amandine. She was anxious to charm the managers with her voice. Of course, she was no Christine Daae, but she knew that, when she wanted to, she could out-sing all of the other chorus girls any day. It was required that those who wished to audition were to sing the famous aria, "Think of Me" from the opera's third act. Amandine heard whispers amongst her fellow singers that this opera, "Hannibal", was the very opera which made Christine Daae so famous. Somehow, this knowledge made Amandine long for the role even more.
When it was her time to sing, she found herself strangely at ease. "I can do this" she reminded herself as the opening bars began to play. Just as she was about to sing, she heard a soft swish of fabric from the rafters above. She snapped her head up quickly, but saw no one. Shrugging it off, she began to sing with all the purity and clarity she could muster. She envisioned herself finally making her parents proud, bowing to a sea of admirers. Then she saw herself a mere year or two down the road, her novel being sold to countless people around the world. A world renowned opera star and novelist, her name would go down in history. Amandine was so lost in this fantasy that she barely noticed the piano stop playing, or the standing ovation given by the managers. Suddenly snapping back to reality, she smiled politely and stepped off the stage, proud of her performance.
After sitting through the other singers' auditions, Amandine was unsurprised to learn that she had secured the role. Monsieur Richard and Monsieur Gilles, the two new managers, informed her that, since she would be taking Catalina's place for a month or possibly more, she would be provided with a private room, rather than stay in the dormitory. Because Catalina had refused to give up her room, Amandine would be forced to choose her own from the others available. None were as large or nice as Catalina's, which also happened to be the only new room… the others were dusty and had a musty smell from being left unused for so long. None had been touched by the flames of the fire.
Meg assisted Amandine in packing up her belongings to be brought to her new room. Amandine had picked it right away. It was small and quaint, but the moment Amandine walked inside, she felt a chill down her spine, but not an unpleasant one. She hoped to surprise Meg with her choice. As they approached the door to the room, Amandine noticed a flicker of uncertainty flash across the ballerina's face. When the door was opened, the flicker turned to complete expression. Meg walked through the door in front of Amandine, approaching the highlight of the room…the full-length mirror. It had been this which had initially attracted Amandine. It was the largest mirror she had ever seen and the gold frame and intricate detail were beautiful. Meg, however, stared at the glass with a look of fear and disbelief.
Finally, Amandine realized. This was the room…Christine's room. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind, until now. But it was too late. She couldn't change her mind, now that she knew. Her friend turned around hesitantly. "Are you sure this is the one you want?" It was obvious from her tone that she knew Amandine was well aware of what she meant. Amandine simply nodded in reply and glanced back towards the mirror, feeling as though another pair of eyes besides her own were staring back at her.
"Did she ever talk about it Meg? Did she ever mention how he was able to-" she was immediately silenced by her friend's face. She had definitely said too much. "I…I should go… let you get settled…" without looking Amandine in the eye, Meg left her alone with nothing but her thoughts and the imposing mirror.
XXXXXX
As Amandine prepared for bed that night, she felt the same chill run down her spine as it did earlier that day. She tried to shrug it off, but something just felt wrong. While heading for the door, prepared to find Meg for comfort, she heard a soft click from behind her. She stopped dead in her tracks and listened to the sliding of a panel and the sound of soft footsteps approaching her.
The breath did not leave her lungs as a large, leather-clad hand covered her trembling mouth. He was behind her. She could feel his strength and his power. It sent a thrill through her body, though she was unsure of whether or not it was the bad kind. A shudder ran through her veins. His lips were less than an inch from the soft flesh of her ear. A hard, yet strangely haunting voice whispered to her with controlled authority.
"I've been watching you for quite some time now, Mademoiselle Laroque. Do not think your prying questions have gone unnoticed." He paused for a moment, letting his words sink-in. "I need not remind you, my dear, that curiosity killed the cat. It would be a pity for a beautiful creature such as yourself to meet a similar fate."
It was all Amandine could do to repress a sigh. God, how could such a frightening, murderous creature make her feel like this? His words were harsh and threatening… and yet…
"It would seem that I have piqued your interest…as have you piqued mine. The Opera Ghost sees all, my dear. It would be quite foolish of you to attempt to revive the demons of the past while you wander in my domain…"
Amandine was abruptly shoved forward and almost lost her balance. Her arms clutched the nearby wardrobe and she pushed herself upright just in time to hear another click from the mirror. She turned around slowly and brought her gaze to the shining glass which reflected the soft glow of her many candles. He was still there, on the other side. She could feel it. Her heart raced in her chest and her breath came out in sharp pants, but she never took her eyes off the mirror's smooth surface.
She had finally found her Phantom…or, rather, he had found her!
A/N: Gosh, that was LONG! Sorry! I was going to wait until the NEXT chapter to bring in our little friend, but I just couldn't resist! Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! I swear I won't give up on this! Expect chapters weekly, at least!
-Amanda