Chapter 6

"Here we are dear." Giry said, stopping in front of a door. "There is a wash tub inside, and some dresses in the wardrobe. Try a couple on and see what fits you best. When you are done, I'll have another look at you."

"Thank you." Alexa said softly.

"I'll wait out here if you wish." Dustin said. Alexa looked up at him and smiled. "We don't want you getting lost, so this way you don't have to find me."

"Thank you; that would be nice."

"Well then, if you are staying, just bring her by the studio again when she is ready."

Opening the door, Alexa gasped in shock. She had figured that the room would just be a bathroom, but it was an actual room. "Who's is this?" she asked.

"Yours for the time being." Giry replied. "It is one of the spare rooms. This hall is the wing for all the ballerinas, so naturally there are extras since we never have too many girls."

"Thank you!" Alexa said again. Stepping into her room, she found that it had a single bed pushed up against the far wall. The bathroom was immediately to the right of the door, with a washtub, toilet, and sink. Opposite each other and on the two walls adjacent to the bad, were a wardrobe and a long mirror. Across from the bad against the wall to the bathroom was a vanity table and stool for her to apply make-up and such. The walls were a dark navy blue with gold trim around the baseboard and the ceiling. The cover on the bed was a handmade quilt with pictures of girls dancing in a field. The wood on all the furniture was all maple.

Walking into the bathroom, Alexa saw that the tub, sink, and toilet, were all made of white porcelain. Turning on the water, Alexa went to the wardrobe to pull out a towel to dry off with, and found a collection of dresses awaiting her. Rummaging through them, she saw that they were mostly blues and reds, with a few greens and yellows. In the back of the wardrobe, she found a baby blue dress with white frill at the cuff of the sleeves and at the neck line. The bodice looked snug and form fitted, with the neck line scooping to about the middle of the bodice. The sleeves were quarter sleeves, and the skirt of the dress was sewn into a broad skirt with frill at the bottom which should brush the ground. The whole dress looked very Victorian, and perfect for the age. Going back into the bathroom, she pulled of her dress and slipped into the hot water.

Once out of the bath, Alexa dried off and started to put on the dress she had found, but couldn't quite fit it! Going back over to the wardrobe, she found what looked to be just the bodice of a dress that laced up in the back. Out of pure instinct, she knew she had to put it on in order to get the dress on, so she did. The corset was quite snug, which made it easy to slip into the dress. Walking over to the vanity, she saw that there was a little bit of make-up, probably left there for anyone to use. Shrugging, she applied some rogue to her cheeks and lips. Figuring she was decent, Alexa walked to the door and opened it. Sitting against the opposite was playing with a loop of string, was none other than Dustin, right where he said he'd be.

"Do you feel any better?" he asked, referring to her amnesia. "Um, don't you think you should put some shoes on? And maybe a cloak, not all of the opera house is as warm as this hall." Dustin suggested, smiling in spite of himself.

"Oh, right." Alexa said, blushing at her thoughtlessness. Stepping back into her room, she found a pair of black satin slipper-like shoes, and a dark blue cloak hanging on a coat rack in the corner at the head of her bed. Wrapping the cloak around her shoulders, and putting the shoes on, she walked back out into the hall. "Better?" she asked smiling.

"Much." Dustin replied, offering his arm to her once again. "So, I'm going to take you back to Madame Giry, and then you will probably sing for the managers. Where did you find that dress? It's very flattering for you."

"Oh, thanks." Alexa said, blushing again. "It was in the back of the wardrobe."

"It is a little out of date with fashion, but not too much that you look like a fool. In fact, I like this style much better than the new one. The new style has everyone showing too much of everything."

"Oh, well I'm glad you like it." They walked on in silence until they both heard Alexa's stomach rumble quite loudly.

"Ha! When was the last time you ate?" Dustin asked laughing.

"I don't remember." Alexa said weakly.

"Oh, right, forgot about that already. Sorry. Well, I think that Madame Giry can wait a while while we find you something to eat. Come on, I know the chef, and he has a soft spot for pretty girls who like good food." Dustin said, leading her down another hall.

Once in the kitchens, Dustin sat Alexa down on a stool and disappeared behind a wall of hanging pots and pans to find the chef. Moments later, Alexa heard a loud clatter and a shout, accompanied by a thud. Leaping up from her stool, Alexa ran around to the other side of the pot wall. There, lying on the floor amidst about ten pots and pans was Dustin, with a stunned look on his face. "Dustin, are you alright?" Alexa asked, rushing over to help him up.

"Yeah, I'm fine; but Jack scared the living daylights out of me! Jack is the chef, and he has been a little paranoid since the…well, it doesn't matter." Dustin responded.

"What did he do?"

"He threw a knife at me, that's what!" Bending down, he picked up the kitchen knife that had barely missed his left shoulder. "Jack, you can come out now! I'm not going to hurt you!" Dustin called out. They both heard a scuffling of feet somewhere over to their right, so Dustin called out again. "Jack, it's me, Dustin! You know who I am; and I brought a friend! Her name is Alexa, and she needs to get something to eat. Can you help her, or should we go out to a restaurant?"

"If you go out to a restaurant Monsieur Dustin," Jack called out scoldingly. "And I will never give you the last slice of gooseberry pudding cake ever again! Of course I can help the girl; what do you think I am, a stable hand?" from the other end of the pot wall, Jack showed himself.

"I thought that would get you to come out from hiding." Dustin said laughing out loud.

"Monsieur, unlike you, I have a love for my job, and take it very seriously when others try to take advantage of it." Jack said accusingly.

"Oh come off it Jack, you know I was teasing."

"Along with my pride for my job, I have manners! Mademoiselle, my I introduce myself since this young lout seems to have forgotten he is a gentlemen? My name is Jack Attilio; master of the kitchens!" Jack said, giving Alexa a very elegant bow, pretending to sweep a cloak out from behind him.

Giggling, Alexa curtsied back, rather shakily, but she managed not to fall. "Why Monsieur, I'm very please to meet you! My name is Alexa, and I just got here."

Clearing his throat, Dustin cut back into their small conversation. "Jack, the food?"

"Of course, of course; just a moment! My dear, what can I serve you this fine day? Would you like some gooseberry pudding cake, or baked ice cream? Or maybe I can tempt you with some stuffed sausages!"

"Oh, my mouth is watering just from listening to my choices!" Alexa exclaimed. "You choose, I couldn't possibly!"

"Ah, I like this girl Dustin! She hasn't even tasted my food and already she knows it's good! How about a little of all?"

An hour later, Dustin pushes open the door to the ballet practice rooms to find Giry pacing the floor, obviously irritated. Noticing him, Giry rounded on him in outrage. "Where in the world have you been? That girl should have been here an hour ago! Where is she? I certainly hope that you didn't leave her to wonder around by herself while you chase after one of the ballet rats."

"She is right here Madame, and I'm terribly sorry for being late, but she had not eaten in hours, so we stopped by the kitchens to get some food into her. I'm sure that you can forgive me that." Dustin told the angry ballet teacher.

"I liked Jack; he was very nice, and curious!" Alexa piped up, to help get Dustin out of trouble.

"Well, since you have a valid excuse this time, I will let it slide. But mark my words child," Giry said, focusing on Alexa. "I do not tolerate lateness, so once you learn your way around this place, I will not tolerate you being late for practice, no matter what the excuse is! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am." Alexa said timidly.

"Now then, I think that we should get you to the managers. They are expecting you about now, so I guess I'll just have to have my second look at you later. Well, you heard me, scoot! Out of the doorway at least if you don't know where you are going." Giry said, making showing motions with her hands.

"Ah, here is our new protégé!" Monsieur Firmin said as he saw Alexa, Dustin and Madame Giry enter the opera house office. "Madame Giry has already told us how well you dance young lady! Let's just hope that you can sing as well as you dance! If you can, I'm sure that you will have no problems fitting in here. Well, now, do you have a song prepared?"

"Sir, must I remind you again that she cannot remember anything?" Dustin spoke up.

"Ah, it seems that I have indeed forgotten that. Well, I'm sure that we can teach you something. I guess we should call Monsieur Reyer into the auditorium to teach you something to audition with." Monsieur Andre said. "Giry, would you go fetch him?"

"Of course Monsieur. I will meet you in there." Giry said, walking out of the office.

"Well, my dear, if you will follow me into the auditorium, we shall begin your audition!" Monsieur Firmin said, following Giry in leaving the room.

Once inside the auditorium, Alexa looked around in amazement. Yes, she had been found there earlier, but she had not really looked at where she was. The stage looked like it was two hundred feet wide and at least one hundred deep! That was probably an overstatement, but it was hard to tell without actually measuring it. There were two balconies, and then twenty private boxes! Ten on each of the levels of the balconies; five on either side. The seats were all mahogany wood covered in dark red velvet with gold inlay in the wood. There were white marble columns which held up the balconies, and a giant crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling. The ceiling itself was a masterpiece, because it curved slightly up into a giant dome with nothing holding it up. The mosaic on the ceiling depicted hundreds of dancers in a field of wild flowers, and men and women with their mouths open as if they are singing as the dancers dance. Perfect for an opera house.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Monsieur Andre asked, smiling at her awed expression. All Alexa could do was nod her head. "Well, shall we proceed to the piano?" Walking down the ail, Alexa noticed that it was marble as well, to match the columns.

"Ah, so this is the girl I keep hearing whispers about!" a man said, stepping out from behind the curtain, followed by Madame Giry. "Shall I just start playing songs and you pick what you think sounds pretty, or do you have something in mind?"

"Alexa, this is Monsieur Reyer, the musical direct here at the opera house." Dustin said, introducing the new man.

Firmin took over the introductions. "Monsieur Reyer, this is Alexa; she doesn't know any songs, so if you would be kind enough to teach her one?" Walking up to the man, he whispered in his ear, "She has no idea who she is, or where she is from; just thought you'd want to know."

"So I've heard! All the ballet rats are talking about her! They say that she popped out of nowhere, and knows the steps to a dance that no one has seen in over seven years!" Monsieur Reyer said.

"Aye, she does." Giry said behind him. "Shall we get on with the music lesson gentlemen, or do you want to continue talking about the poor child while she just stands there listening?"

"Good idea. Well girl, over to the piano!" Reyer said, motioning to the piano on the opposite side of the stage, and then following her. "I'm going to teach you a song from Hannibal, since you already seem to know one of the dances from that show. I'm going to start by just playing it so that you can get a feel for the notes, and then I'll teach you the word. Now then, listen closely!"

As Reyer started to play, Alexa suddenly got that feeling she had had while dancing, the feeling that someone was watching her. Don't be ridiculous; there are five other people here, all wanting to know if you can sing! she thought to herself. Listening, she started humming the melody, and then out of nowhere, words popped into her head, so she started singing:

"Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye. Remember me once in a while- please promise me you'll try. When you find that, once again, you long to take your heart back and be free- if you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me…"

"Is she singing? I thought that I could hear her when she started, but now I can't hear her at all!" Firmin exclaimed to Andre.

"I want to know how she knew the words to begin with! No one has heard that song in over twnty years! Come; let's move closer so we can here better."

Alexa was still singing, but she was so nervous for some reason, that even though she somehow knew all the words to this song, she just didn't want anyone to hear her. The only reason she kept singing was because she knew she had to. "We never said our love was evergreen or as unchanging as the sea-but if you can still remember, stop and think of me… Think of all the things we've shared and seen-don't think about the things which might have been…"

"She is amazing! It's a pity we can't get her to sing louder!" Andre said excitedly. "We need to get her to practice regularly with Reyer; maybe he can help her confidence!"

How does she know this song? I'm one of the few who can remember it, though I was only a toddler when they performed it here. But still, why does she look so familiar? I know that I have never seen her before! Dustin thought to himself.

"Think of me, think of me waking, silent and resigned. Imagine me, trying to hard to put you from my mind. Recall those days, look back on all those times, think of the things we'll never do- there will never be a day, when I won't think of you… We never said our love was evergreen or as unchanging as the sea-but please promise me, that sometimes you will think of me!" Alexa finished her song, but the last part was so soft, that even Monsieur Reyer, who was right next to her, had trouble hearing it.

"Why my dear child, that was incredible! You must sing louder next time though, or else no one will ever be able to hear you in the performances! You must take lessons from someone to help your confidence, or else you will never get any main role in any of the operas." Reyer said, responding to Alexa's timid performance. "Our next rehearsal for the show we are doing, Les Miserables, will be tomorrow, so be sure to be here so we can at least get you to learn the chorus songs."

"Yes sir." Alexa said. "I don't feel very well; may I go back to my room to lie down?"

"Of course!" Giry said. "You did very well. Go rest, and we will wake you in the morning. It is late anyways. Dustin, will you help her to her rooms? Also to help her learn her way around here over the next few days. Would you mind introducing her to some of your friends, and some of the ballet rats I suppose."

"Of course Madame, it will be as you say." Dustin said, bowing his leave. "That was incredible!" he said to Alexa as they headed towards the doors.

"Thanks." Alexa said weakly.

"She reminds me of someone, but I can't figure out whom!" Reyer exclaimed after the two youths had left the auditorium.

"I couldn't agree more with you!" Firmin agreed.

"I was thinking the exact same thing!" piped up Andre.

"It will be a delightful puzzle to figure out I suppose, but one that can wait." Giry put in. "First, we must decide what to do with her! She has great talent in both dancing and singing, though she could use some encouragement in her singing."

"Yes, I agree with you Madame Giry, but we are almost ready to perform Les Miserables, she will just have to wait until the auditions for Hansel and Gretel. Until then, she must get the best help she can, because without it, her talent will go to waste!" Andre said.

"I just wish I knew where she came from, and who she really is." Reyer murmured.

I couldn't agree more with all of the above. a shadowed figure thought from up in the rafters.