"Excellent Job people—" Mr. Giles said. "if you do this well in a few days, we'll win—No doubt of it!" It was Wednesday and their performance would start in a week and a half. The sets were up for the most part and the props in place. Cassie was having the last bit of her final costume taken in and hemmed.
"Good—that'll do it." The woman said. "Now just don't grow, gain weight or lose any." Cassie took the costume off and put on her jeans and a T-shirt. Some of the cast members were going to be doing set work to help the techies and Cassie was one of them.
"Now, I need two or three people to stay behind to paint our sandwich board." Mr. Giles announced as Cassie entered the stage again. "Any Volunteers?" Cassandra and Mark raised their hands, as did Ryan a split second later. Cassie was a little annoyed that he volunteered…he always seemed to be around her. "Ah, our three leads—excellent!" The three of them went to the lobby and looked at the plywood sign board and the cans of paint.
"So—what should we do?" Mark asked.
"Well, if we got an overhead projector, we could draw the design or copy it on a transparency. And then project it on the board…."Ryan said scratching his head and thinking about the logistics.
"Sounds good to me." Cassie replied. "Mark and I can paint the boards black while you go copy the design and secure the overhead."
"Alright." Ryan didn't seem too happy and Cassandra saw the saw the glance that Ryan shot Mark's back. "I'll be right back."
Mark poured the black paint into a tray and began to roll it onto the ply wood. Cassie went to the other side and did the same.
"You're very talented." Mark said suddenly. "I'm glad they cast you as Christine."
"Thank you." Cassandra rolled the paint out smoothly, covering the natural wood. "You're talented too."
Mark sighed deeply. "I hope I'm worthy."
Cassie stopped painting on her side of the board and leaned around to stare at Mark. His brow was deeply furrowed as he painted.
"Mark, you have a fantastic voice. Your acting is remarkable. We're lucky to have you for our Phantom." Mark looked up at her and smiled shyly.
"You think so?"
"I know so." A loud crash in the hallway alerted them to Ryan's return with the overhead.
"Stupid cart crashing….shit." Ryan wheeled the cart in and looked to where Cassie and Mark were staring at him. "Sorry—cart ran into the wall."
"Right…because there's just no such thing as operator error." Cassie rolled her eyes at him and put her roller back in the tray.
"You know…" Ryan shook his head. "If you weren't a girl, I'd soooo throttle you."
"And what does my being a girl have to do with anything?"
"Because I might catch cooties!" Ryan ran from the room as Cassie sprinted after him.
"I'll be back in a second Mark!" Cassie called back as he laughed.
"Take your time Cassandra….take your time."
Cassie ran into the outer foyer and looked around for Ryan. She was about to head for the far doors when she was grabbed around the waist and pulled back into the shadows behind a column.
"Operator error, huh?" He whispered in her ear as he pulled her behind the pillar. "That's not very nice." Cassie pushed away from him and laughed.
"You're so childish!" She hissed. Ryan kissed her and she moved to get away. "We have to get chalk and the image that we're going to use….there's no time for that."
"You're right." Ryan said, trying to look serious. "There's no time for this foolishness…..come! We must go on a quest!" He grasped Cassie's hand and pulled her off down the hall way.
Ryan picked up the transparency from the copy center and then the two of them searched for an unlocked classroom to find some chalk. Cassie found an unlocked door and ducked inside to get the chalk, Ryan close behind.
"Oww!" Cassie squeaked as she ran into a desk in the darkened class room. She found her way to the chalk board and ran her hand along the chalk tray trying to find a few good sized sticks. Ryan's hand wrapped slowly around the waist of her jeans, his thumb brushing against her skin. "Ryan—"
"Shhhhh…." Ryan kissed at the nape of her neck slowly and moved his hand carefully up her side. His breath was hot across her shoulder and collar bone as he continued to nuzzle her neck. "God, I love you Cassie…." Ryan turned her around and pinned her up against the chalk board and kissed her slowly. Cassie moaned against his lips as he slipped his tongue across hers. Cassie wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck as lifted her up and set her on the instructor's desk beside them. He stood between her legs and ran his hand slowly beneath her shirt. Instinctively she arched into him, enjoying the sensations his hands caused in her.
"Ryan…we can't do this here…." Cassie breathed into his neck as he kissed the side of her throat. "We'll get caught." What Cassie didn't want Ryan to know was how close she was to letting him take her right there on the desk in the classroom. She was so horny she couldn't have helped it. Ryan kissed her lips again and helped her up off the desk.
"Sorry babe…..I don't know what came over me."
"It's alright." Cassie stood on tip toe and kissed Ryan back. "But Mark is going to wonder what happened if we don't get back soon." Even in the dark Cassie could see Ryan's face twist at the mention of Mark's name. "What's that face for?"
"Nothing…I've just never liked Mark much…he's so condescending."
"Oh, grow up, Ryan." Cassie grabbed a box of chalk from the chalk tray and left the room. "It's not like he's going to steal me away from you or anything." Cassie turned when she realized Ryan had stopped. "Are you afraid he's going to win my heart over?" Ryan didn't answer, but continued to stare Cassie down. "I'll have you remember, Ryan, that Christine chooses Raoul over the Phantom…..what goes for Christine goes for me…you don't have to worry, I hope you know that. You've stolen my heart and I don't know if I'll ever get it back." Ryan hugged her tightly and then the two of them returned to the foyer hand in hand.
When they got back to the lobby Mark was there tuning a radio.
"Sorry, I got bored and went to get my radio." Mark said as they came in the room.
"It's ok, we couldn't find chalk." Ryan said lamely. "We had to get a janitor to open the door for us.
"Well, are we ready boys?" Cassie said as she centered the transparency on the projector and flicked the switch. Ryan and Mark traced the design and Cassie followed behind them and caught the lines they didn't. When they were finished, Cassie turned off the projector and looked at their work. Sure that they had all the lines they flipped the board around and began to work on the other side. Mark traced the pattern while Ryan and Cassie started to paint. Ryan worked on the mask stating that it was simple and required less detail. Cassie started on the rose. Occasionally their hands would get in the way of the other painters' brush and they'd get paint on one another.
"Stop painting on me, Ryan." Cassie said nudging him.
"It was an accident—but keep your hands out of my way."
"It most certainly was not an accident. You painted a smiley face on the back of my hand!"
"Coincidence" Ryan said, laughter clear in his voice as he leaned over and stole a kiss.
"Am I going to have to separate you two?" Mark's voice asked over the sign. They all laughed and Cassie finished the rose and went to start on the letters while Ryan moved to the other side to paint he mask.
"Cassie, would you pass the—" Mark asked as he came around the sign board. He never finished the sentence as he started to laugh. "Ryan, go get a camera or something, quick."
"Why?" Ryan leaned around the sandwich board and began to laugh harder. Cassie pushed a strand of hair out of her face but still didn't understand what was so funny.
"What?"
"You've got paint all over your face." Ryan laughed.
"It looks like war paint." Mark said. This only served to send Ryan and Mark into an even stronger fit of laughter. Cassie looked at her fingertips and saw them stained with blue, red, green and white paint. She could only imagine that she'd smeared the paint onto her face.
"I hate you both." Cassie said getting up and going to the bathroom. They were right…it did look like war paint. She washed it off as best she could but could still see flecks of it across her cheeks and in her hair. "I think I had more paint on me than I do on the board." Cassie announced as she came back in. They finished one side of the board and most of the other before Mr. Giles came in and told them it was time to pack up. He approved of the work they'd gotten done so far and told them they could work on it again the next day.
The days flew by and soon it was the weekend. Every evening Villefort had been working with Cassandra on the operatic pieces. Friday night, Cassandra returned to her room and fell into bed.
"Are you nervous?" Cassie looked at the reflection in her mirror to see Ryan in costume.
"Yes."
"Don't be…you'll be phenomenal." Cassie gulped and continued to stare at her reflection. Her blonde hair had been curled into dozens of tiny ringlets. She was dressed in the costume for her first time on stage—that of a slave girl for 'Hanibal' "Breathe Cassie—just breathe." Ryan placed a gentle kiss atop her head and left to prepare for his first act. He was the old man at the auction for the Opera House. Cassie stood and made for the door when Mr. Villefort met her there.
"Cassie, good luck this evening." He handed her a bouquet of blood red roses. "These were sent back stage. It would seem you have an admirer." Cassie took the bouquet and inhaled the heady aroma. Mr. Villefort bowed out while Cassandra read the careful script on the card.
"Do well tonight—sing sweetly—the Angel of Music is watching."
Cassie shook her head and quickly moved to the corridor.
"The play starts in ten minutes!" Mr. Giles shouted. "Good luck, and Cassie, please wake up!"
Cassie's eyes shot open and she looked around her room. Mia stood impatiently on the floor staring fixedly at her.
"What time is it?" Cassie asked sleepily.
"Almost nine. Villefort's having a cow."
"Oh no!" Cassie leapt from bed and quickly dressed. She and Mia dashed up the hall to where Villefort was playing something on the piano.
"We're here Mr. Villefort." Mia announced cheerily as they entered the room. "I told you I'd find her."
"Cassandra, you're late." Mr. Villefort didn't look at her but continued on the piano as everyone else stared at her.
"Sorry—I over slept."
"Don't let it happen again." His green eyes stabbed through her his glare was so harsh.
"I won't." She said meekly and took her place.
"Mr. Villefort?" Davette said simpering from beside the piano. "Mr. Villefort, if she's always late for practice how will we EVER be prepared to perform this week?"
"We'll be ready Miss Owens—do not worry."
The rehearsal was short. Everyone sang perfectly and Villefort released them within an hour and a half of their arrival.
"Good ladies—it would seem we are prepared. If you sing as well on opening night we just might win that competition." For the first time Cassandra felt uneasy in the man's presence, for as he said this his eyes held a maniacal glow. Davette went to Villefort's side asking what to do about her voice and certain songs and mannerisms she should employ in her act. Cassandra used this as an opportunity to slip out of the choir room and to the pay phone to call Ryan.
"I need out Ryan, now. Please, I'm gonna go crazy if I don't leave."
"Alright, I'll be at the bus stop in ten minutes."
"Thank you!"
The Saturday morning rehearsals were getting on Cassie's nerves—especially with the private tutoring on the side. True to his word Ryan pulled into the bus stop ten minutes after Cassandra had hung up the phone with him. She leapt gratefully into the car and sighed as Ryan pulled away from the curb.
"Where to, my Lady?"
'Anywhere but here…or St. Mark's." Cassie added quickly. The day was warm for early April and Ryan quickly drove to one of the larger parks in town. They walked hand in hand to a shaded park bench where Ryan and Cassie could sit side by side in private.
"I never thought it would be so hard."
"The play?" Cassie nodded as she lay her head in Ryan's lap.
"All these practices—I'm so worn out." Her voice drifted off slightly and Ryan brushed his fingers through her hair and swept it away from her face.
"So, don't think about that right now." Ryan bent low and kissed her forehead. He began to sing softly, "No more talk of darkness—"
"Oh God!" Cassie laughed as Ryan sang and grinned above her. They relaxed beneath the spring blooms all afternoon before Ryan finally took Cassie back to St. Isabel's.
"I'll see you at practice—Dress rehearsals all week you know."
"Yeah—See you this week." Cassie went inside and up to her room to finish her homework. A note was taped to her door when she got there. The odd script slanted across the page menacingly, even thought the subject was quite innocent.
I believe I have something of yours.
Report to the Choir Room to retrieve it.
R. Villefort.
Cassie folded the note and walked down to the choir room where a haunting melody spilled from beneath the door. She knocked gently at the door and opened it slowly to find Mr. Villefort playing passionately at the piano.
"Mr. Villefort?" Villefort turned and glared at her, his fingers never coming off the keyboard.
"Cassandra, good of you to drop in."
"I found this note on my door…." Villefort pointed to a stand in the corner with his right hand while the left played on. On the music stand sat her file of Music for the play. "Oh." Cassandra crossed to the stand and collected her music. "I guess I forgot it." She said pathetically.
"Obviously." Cassandra clutched the music to her chest as if it would protect her and made to leave the room. She was halfway to the door when his voice cut into her. "Are you in love with him?"
"Excuse me?"
"I asked if you love him." Cassandra turned to Villefort and watched as he slowly rose from the piano.
"I don't know what you're talking about—"
"Don't play dumb Cassandra, it doesn't become you." His voice was cold and harsh, almost a hiss.
"Mr. Villefort, what I do in my personal life doesn't concern you." Cassandra backed away from this man who suddenly intimidated her. "I'll see you at practice on Monday." She was rushing down the hall way when someone else spoke to her.
"You shouldn't piss him off Cassandra." Davette's simpering tone cut into her thoughts. "He's very talented."
"Davette?" Davette grinned and slinked down the hall. "Fuck off!" Cassandra whispered under her breath and rushed back to her own room, making sure to lock the door once inside.