As we headed for rehearsal we passed Michael, the man playing the phantom, I looked twice. He was not the man I'd seen in the attic. The other was much younger, and Michael had blue eyes not green.

"Jace, come on." Emi tugged at my sleeve.

We were at rehearsals for hours, our feet ached, throats were sore, but we still had a while to go. "Let's do All I Ask, I don't want our Raoul messing up his lines again." Mr. Gustafe, our director, said.

Paul interrupted, "But who am I supposed to sing it with, it's Serene's day off"

Mr. Gustafe looked around, "Janice," I cringed, "you practice it with him, you know all the words." I nodded, I really didn't want half the cast listening to me butcher one of my favorite songs. "While they do, the rest of you can take a break." Okay, a quarter of the cast.

(Skip this part if you don't feel like reading the whole song, but look for the none italics)

Paul: Why have you brought me here?

Me: We can't go back there!

Paul: We must return!

Me: He'll kill you! His eyes will find us there!

Paul: Christine, don't say that

Me: Those eyes that burn!

Paul: Don't even think it

Me: And if he has to kill a thousand men

Paul: Forget this waking nightmare

Me: The Phantom of the Opera will kill

Paul: This phantom is a fable Believe me

Me: ...and kill again!

Paul: There is no Phantom of the Opera

Me: My God, who is this man

Paul: My God, who is this man

Me: ...who hunts to kill?

Paul: ...this mask of death?

Me: I can't escape from him

Paul: Whose is this voice you hear

Me: ...I never will!

Paul: ...with every breath?

Both: And in this labyrinth, where light is blind the Phantom of the Opera is here/there inside your/my mind

Paul: There is no Phantom of the Opera

Me: Raoul, I've been there, to his world of unending night To a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness, darkness
Raoul, I've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that face? So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face, in the darkness, darkness
But his voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet sound In that night there was music in my mind And through music my soul began to soar! And I heard as I'd never heard before.

Paul: What you heard was a dream and nothing more

(I tried not to smile, I loved this part. I looked up to box five, Serene always did, I was shocked to see the phantom, not Michael, but the man from the attic. I continued blankly)


Me: Yet in his eyes all the sadness of the world Those pleading eyes, that both threaten and adore (I snapped back to reality as Paul sang)

Paul: Christine, Christine

Michael: Christine

Paul: No more talk of darkness Forget these wide-eyed fears I'm here, nothing can harm you My words will warm and calm you Let me be your freedom Let daylight dry your tears I'm here, with you, beside you To guard you and to guide you

Me: Say you'll love me every waking moment Turn my head with talk of summer time Say you need me with you now and always Promise me that all you say is true That's all I ask of you

Paul: Let me be your shelter Let me be your light You're safe, no one will find you Your fears are far behind you

Me: All I want is freedom A world with no more night And you, always beside me To hold me and to hide me

Paul: Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime Let me lead you from your solitude Say you need me with you here, beside you Anywhere you go, let me go too Christine, that's all I ask of you

Me: Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime Say the word and I will follow you

Both: Share each day with me, each night, each morning

Me: Say you love me

Paul: You know I do

Both: Love me, that's all I ask of you (no we don't kiss we're just singing it)
-
(I took a deep breath)
Anywhere you go, let me go too Love me, that's all I ask of you"

Mr. Gustafe stopped us, "Beautiful," I looked back up to box 5, the phantom bent his head down in acknowledgement, then disappeared. "so tell me, Paul, how do you forget your lines on opening night, yet remember them perfectly the next morning?" Paul blushed, "And Janice, I knew you knew the lines, but that was wonderful" I looked down,

"Thank you," I said softly.

Michael winked at me, "if Serene ever gets sick, we know who to call" Now it was my turn to blush, sure Michael was cute, but he was dating Felicia. Which didn't give him a very high rating. I returned to my room, happy for a break before the performance that night. Thankful that Serene would be back. When I got there, Emi was waiting.

"Jace!" she gave me a hug, "I heard you sing, that was beautiful"

I peeled her off me, "please Emi, I have to help your mother in the laundry room." I changed quickly and head for the room, scared, but hoping he would be there. I entered the room and Marie was picking up laundry bags and throwing them in a pile.

"Janice," she said relieved, "can you finish doing this, I have a private lesson."

I nodded as she walked out. I continued to throw the bags against the wall, trying to ignore the fact that the ladder to the attic had come back down. fifteen minutes later, Felicia walked in, in a really rotten mood.

"Janie!" she yelled, "What are you doing, now I have to search through all those bags, just to find mine"

I turned around to face her, "you know, if you had listened and put your clothes in the right spot, I wouldn't move them"

She, furious about something else entirely, slapped me across the face. "don't back talk me, child! You have no respect for the true stars. Don't think you're, oh so, important just because you serenaded the dancers at rehearsals." suddenly a box came flying down missing her only because she dived out of the way. I looked up to see the phantom looking down at me with a smirk on his face. He was gone before Felicia got up.

"You did that on purpose, you little witch!" she stormed off, not bothering to find her laundry

"The names Jace, 'Licia." I said under my breath.