I just wanted to let everyone know that this story is based off of the broadway show, not the new movie. I saw the movie for the first time the other day, and I thought it was good, but I much prefer the play, so this is based off of that. I have tried to put in breaks in between sections, but for some reason this system won't let me, so I'm terribly sorry if you get a little lost. Thanks to all of my reviewers! Ya'll are wonderful! I'll try and be better at up-dating since school is almost out, but I still have to get through exams, so I'll up-date as soon as I can. Well, I've kept you from it for too long, so on with the story...
Chapter 7
"Hey Mr. Donnelly, I brought Leslie's books like you asked." Mike said, walking into Leslie's hospital room. "I don't know what good it will do her because she can't exactly do her homework while she is in a comma."
I want her books so that I can figure out what she is doing, so I can help her when she wakes up." Mr. Donnelly said, yawning from lack of sleep.
"How is she doing; any improvement?" Mike asked.
We'll, considering she has been in a comma for a week, and you come to visited everyday, I think you can evaluate that for yourself."
"No change then. Hey, you look exhausted; why don't you go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat."
"Would you watch her for me?" Mr. Donnelly asked, and then chuckled to himself. "Well, it's not like she can go anywhere. Thanks Mike."
After Leslie's father left the room, Mike took his chair that was positioned at the side of Leslie's bed. Sighing, he put his head in his hands. "How could this happen?" he asked himself. "The stairs were too steep perhaps. I just wish you would wake up." looking up, he thought he saw her eye lashes flutter. "Leslie, are you awake?" he asked in shock. Taking her hand that was on top of the covers, he stood up to better look.
Leslie's eye lids fluttered open and she looked up at Mike. "Dustin?" she whispered, sounding perplexed.
"No, I'm Mike; I can't believe you are awake!" Mike exclaimed. "Leslie, Leslie? Leslie, wake up!" But Leslie had slipped back into her comma.
"How did you sleep?" Dustin asked Alexa as she opened her door, fully dressed a green dress with yellow pleats. The sleeves were long, but bell shaped instead of hugging the arm. The bodice was snug, but semi modestly cut.
"I had a very strange dream." Alexa replied, taking his offered arm.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" Dustin asked.
"Well, I was lying on a metal bed with white sheets. The walls of the room I was in where white, everything was white!" Alexa explained. "I was in the bed, and there was a by standing over me; but he wasn't just a boy, he looked exactly like you! I called your name, but he said his name was Mike. I don't remember anything else."
"Interesting. Did I, he, seem to know you?" Dustin asked.
"Actually, yes! He looked surprised at seeing me, and very relieved."
"Well, at least we know that someone knows you."
"There was something else, I just remembered! He called me Leslie! That name sounds vaguely familiar, but not really. Almost as if I've heard it before, but that's all." Alexa said perplexed.
"Maybe he had the wrong girl then." Dustin said shrugging. "Well, here's the kitchen. Let's see if Jack has anything ready for us to eat.
Waling into the kitchen, they found that Hack had already spread out casseroles and fruit salads and biscuits, and juices of many kinds! "He has certainly outdone himself this time." Dustin said around a mouth full of mouth watering egg, cheese, and bacon casserole. Alexa nodded her agreement, taking a bite of biscuit and jam.
"I'm so glad that you like it dear children. Shall I expect you for lunch as well?" Jack asked.
"You always see me at lunch Jack." Dustin said after he had swallowed.
"Yes, but now you have a lady friend. So, Mademoiselle Alexa, shall I be expecting your company for lunch?" Jack asked Alexa.
"Absolutely." Alexa said, after swallowing her apple juice. "I'll be back everyday if you don't mind."
"Not at all! I could use the company."
"You mean to say that I'm not company enough for you?" Mike asked, pretending to be offended.
"You, my dear boy, are nothing other than an extra mouth to feed, who comes down here just so that he can get the last piece of dessert!" Jack said, sounding as if he where scolding a child. "You have no appreciation for my talent like my new lady friend has."
Giggling, Alexa smiled at the chef. "I'm flattered Monsieur Jack, but it was Dustin's insistent nagging that got me to come down here. He had been raving over how marvelous your food is, and I must say, I agree whole heartedly!"
"There, you see?" Dustin put in. "I'm a good kid; boy; guy. Arg; now look, you've tied my tongue!
"In that case, we had better give you an incentive to untie it!" Jack said, waling over to the fire pit. Next to the flame, there was a pot; close enough to the fire to get warm, but not enough to really cook anything. "This pot contains dessert for lunch. How would you like to get a whiff of it?"
Both Alexa and Dustin got up from their stools at the counter and walked over to the hanging pot. "What in the world is in there?" Dustin asked.
"A new recipe; Crème Brule." Jack replied.
"It smells divine!" Alexa said, smelling the air over the pot. "Oh no, I'm going to be late for practice!" Alexa said, running around the kitchen. "How do I get out of here?"
Laughing, Dustin helped her to the practice rooms. Running through the doors, they found that no one was there. Walking around the try and figure out why, Dustin noticed a note hung up on the wall next to the door. "Hey Alexa, come over here. Look at the note."
Walking over, Alexa read the not out loud, "To all this may concern, meaning all ballerinas and all actors; please come to the theater as soon as you read this." Running to the door, she stopped. "Um, I don't remember how to get to the theater."
Laughing again, Dustin showed her once more to the theater. "You'll figure it out sooner or later. Until then, I'm more than happy to be your guide."
Alexa just smiled, and tried to hide her blush.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" Monsieur Andre called out to the chattering cast. "Ah, Mademoiselle, I'm so glad that you decided to join us! Please, take a seat." he said, noticing Alexa rush in through one of the house doors. "Now that I have everyone's attention, I would like to inform everyone that the last show went splendidly well. I offer my congratulations to our diva, Madam Chani (pronounced Sean-ee). Now, as to our next opera, I know that you were all looking forwards to putting on Starlight Express, but we have changed our minds. Due too a new arrival in our cast, and upon hearing her audition, we have decided to put Hannibal on again!"
Everyone in the cast groaned, all knowing how heard it was to but that show on, since all of their relatives had been in it. "Monsieur, who is this new actor who gave you such an audition, that you decided to change the show listings?" Madam Chani asked.
"May I have your attention please?" Monsieur Firmin called, stepping up next to his partner. "Mademoiselle Alexa, would you please come up to the stage? Yes dear, I mean you, now please, come up here." The entire cast turned to see who their manager was talking too, and watched as a girl walked down the aisle and up onto the stage. "May I introduce to you your new diva, Mademoiselle Alexa? She arrived here last night, and after hearing her audition, we were just blown away! I hope that you all will make her welcome, and help her out while she is trying to learn her way around the opera house."
Everyone was silent, staring at Alexa and the managers in shock. "B-b-but she is only a child!" Madam Chani stuttered. "You are replacing me with a child? How dare you! I demand more respect! My talent deserves more respect!"
"You mean to say that my new parallel actor is a mere girl who is at best thirty years my junior? I don't think so!" Monsieur Venchenzo protested.
"Madam, Monsieur, please!" Monsieur Andre exclaimed, trying to calm the hysterical stars. "Madam, you are not being replaced! Mademoiselle Alexa is a second diva. She is young, so we can cast her in the roles that you, Madam Chani, are too old to play, or just don't fit, personality wise."
"And Monsieur Venchenzo, when Mademoiselle Alexa is playing the lead female role, we will either make you look younger, her older, or simply have someone younger play the part! Well, I think that we shall give you the rest of the day off to get acquainted with our new member. Good day." Walking off together, Andre and Firmin talked over how great the new show was going to be, and that they needed to find the old Hannibal script again.
Rushing up to the stage, Dustin congratulated Alexa. "Did they tell you that you were going to be the new diva?" he asked.
"No! I had no idea! When he called me up here, I thought he was just going to introduce me!" Alexa responded in shock.
"Well, congratulations. You deserve it! I have heard our dear Madam Chani sing many times, and I must say, you are ten times better than she is."
"Dustin, I don't think I can do it. Be the new diva I mean."
"Why? I heard you sing, you were wonderful!"
"I didn't think so. Dustin, I hate singing in front of people, so when I tried to stop singing, I couldn't! I tried, but I just couldn't! It was if someone was pulling the notes out of me, making me remember the words. I don't know how I knew that song, I just did."
"Alexa, you are shaking. Come on; let's get you some fresh air. I think that you are just shocked that you will be performing the leading role in our next opera, when you just got here."
"You don't believe me, do you?" Alexa asked him.
"I think that you are just stressed. I could tell in the room that you were uncomfortable singing in front of people, so having to get up in front of the entire cast, you are probably just over wrought. I think you just need to calm down, that's all." Could hysteria be part of her amnesia? he thought to himself as he led her up to the roof of the opera house. "This is my favorite spot in the entire city." Dustin told her, once they were up there.
"Why? I would think that it would be in a park or someplace like that. Or in the stables since you seem to like horses, or is it that you just like to smell like them?" Alexa teased.
"What are you talking about? I don't smell like the horses!" Dustin protested, sniffing his shirt.
"Don't worry about it; I like horses, and the scent of hay. It's cold up here! Why did you bring me up to the roof in the middle of winter, with no cloak?"
"For the view. Look out over there." he said, pointing to where the sun should rise. It couldn't be more than six thirty since the sun was not up yet.
"It's the Eiffel Tower. It's pretty and all, but I don't see anything so special about it."
"No, beyond the Eiffel Tower. Look at the river."
"I can barely see the river. What is so special about it anyways?"
"Just watch." Alexa walked over to the low wall running around the roof, and leaned on it. Dustin walked up next her and did the same. Alexa opened her mouth to say something, but Dustin shushed her, and pointed back to the river. A few second later, there was a green flash out on the water, and then the edge of the sun appeared over the water.
Alexa gasped in shock at what she had just seen. "What was that?"
"The green flash. It happens just as the sun is about to rise over the horizon, and just before it sinks below it, but you can only see it over the water. Are you glad I brought you up here now?" Dustin asked, smiling at her.
Alexa nodded; then shivered. "I'm still cold though."
"Then let's go back inside. We don't want you catching a cold just before rehearsal starts." Alexa glared at him; then smiled. Walking over to the door, Dustin tried to pull it open for her, but it wouldn't. "That's odd; I could have sworn it was unlocked."
"It's probably just stuck; pull harder." Alexa suggested. Pulling harder, Dustin still couldn't get the door free of it's frame. "Do people come up here often?"
"Not really. I guess we'll just have to wait until someone figures out we are missing, and come looking for us." Dustin said, sitting against the stone wall next to the door.
"Or we could just call for help. There are bound to be people in the streets, we can just call out to one of them." Alexa suggested, walking back over to the low wall. Leaning out over the street, she looked to see if she was right. Hearing the front door close several stories below her, she leaned out even further, trying to see if someone had gone in, or was coming out.
Loosing her balance, she started to fall over the railing screaming. Just before she went toppling over the wall, Dustin grabbed her waist and pulled her up and hugging her to him. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice shaking almost as much as she was. "Don't do that again."
"Trust me, I won't." Alexa said, relaxing into his protective embrace. They stood there like that for several minutes until Alexa stopped shaking from her near death experience. Walking over to the only window that was out on the roof, Dustin checked to see if by chance, it was unlocked. To his relief, it was.
