Well… here it is the long waited chapter written by Lyndsi!

I would really like to thank her for writing it!

Erik watched Steph go with a little sigh. I was feeling a bit awkward too.
"So," I began, thinking of something to break the silence, "now you get to meet my family."
Erik looked at me like I was nuts, (which I am) "Your family? Your family's going to let you walk in with a masked man and just shake his hand like he is part of the family?"
"Sure." I shrugged. "They're real friendly. And they're used to me dragging people to their house. Actually, my Erik was there for a few days before Pop even noticed he had a mask. Lauren will know who you are though."
He grunted. He didn't want to go. I grew desperate, "Look, I know you miss Steph but it's only for a night. We're going to meet them tomorrow. I have to be home soon, because I'm in the play tonight. Come on, I promise it'll be okay."
"Skip it." Erik suggested.
"I can't. I'm Dorothy."
"Don't you have an understudy?"
"Understudy?" I drew back dramatically, "There is no understudy for La Lyndsi!"
Erik wasn't amused and I wondered if my Erik was moping because he missed me. Probably not. He's probably chatting away with Steph, happy as a lark, not even thinking about me. I pushed that thought away.
"My grandma has a grand piano." I wheedled. Erik perked up, "It's brand new and black and she plays it at 2:00 A.M. when we're all trying to sleep, so I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you did."
Erik got in the truck. From then on it was smooth sailing - which was good, because it was a long trip. We sang. I asked Erik to sing "Phantom of the Opera."
"You know I didn't write that. That Webber man did."
"I know. But he did a good job. Or you could sing something you wrote." He sang a song I'd never heard before. His voice was gorgeous. My Erik sings me to sleep sometimes and I started to nod off behind the steering wheel, so Erik stopped.
"Where did the snow go?" He asked, looking out of the windows.
"We don't have snow. At least not very often." I punched the radio to turn on the classical station. A country song came on complete with guitars and twangy voices.
"Ugg." I punched at the buttons, "My brother's been in the truck again! Either that or Erik decided to play a nasty trick on me. I'm going to get him."
We pulled into the driveway and got out of the truck. "Hello!" I called out as we entered Grandmom's house.
"Lyndsi!" Amy screamed. I heard her feet pounding upstairs and she raced down to hug me, followed my Tyler. He skidded to a stop and stared at Erik's cape and mask.
"Are you batman?" He asked, wide eyed.
"No, this is Erik."
He crossed his arms and looked grumpy, "I wanted you to be batman."
"You brought him down last time, but he didn't look exactly like that." Amy said, "You look scary, dude."
"Amy!" I smiled apologetically at Erik, "Eight-year-olds. Got to love them."
Erik seemed a little uncomfortable around the kids, but he didn't seem to mind them to much.
"Who's that?" Uncle Rocky called out as I reached the top step.
"Everyone, this is my friend Erik."
"What happened to the other Erik?" Grandma called out, "For someone who doesn't date, you sure bring a lot of guys here."
"I sort of traded Eriks for a day." That sounded so stupid.
"What do you know. She upgraded." Uncle Jim said dryly, turning back to the football game.
"Lyndsi, I worry about your obsession." Mom commented. Lauren winked at me. I was never going to live this one down.
"Piano's over there, Erik. Go play something." I encouraged, even though Erik had spotted the piano the moment we reached the top of the stairs.
I went over and hugged Lauren, "Are you going to watch the play tonight?"
"Of course." She grinned at me, "Where are you finding all of these Eriks?"
"She's a natural Erik attractor." Sarah called out.
"Stop it." I blushed, "We're just friends. Erik lives with one of my friends."
"Hello!" Kayla ran up the stairs, just home from dance practice, "Is supper ready! I'm starving! Oh Lyndsi," She jabbed me in the ribs, "I see you brought Erik again."
"It's not the same one."
"Oh. Is supper ready?"
"We're going to out to eat after the performance." I glanced at my watch, "Ahh! I got to go get ready! Erik, you want to come to the theater?"
"Break a leg!" Kayla called as I ran down the stairs.
"It always scares me when people say that. I probably will."
Erik laughed. His eyes sparkled when we got to the theater. He surveyed the auditorium and catwalk.
"Don't even think about it." I hissed, "We don't need a phantom in this theater."
"Hey, Dorothy!" Bob walked up in a brown suit that made Erik do a double-take.
"Hi!" I answered, "Already in costume I see."
"Part of it. The mane stays off until the last possible moment." He walked off to find his wife and I hurried to the dressing room, "Watch your tail tonight at the gate! You don't want it to get stuck again."
"That's for sure!" He yelled back.
I hurried into the dressing room where Manuel was putting on his mascara. He missed part of it. "Crud . . ." He sang. He sings everything - when he's not dancing.
"Hey Scarecrow!" I grabbed my costume off of the hook.
"Hello." Manuel sang out. Erik smirked.
I ran in the dressing room where the witch was changing. "Better hurry, Lyndsi. You don't want to be late for warm-ups."
"I'll be there." I pulled on the black and white striped stockings and moaned. "I look like a zebra."
"It's cute." She said.
"If you say so." I growled, "I never got why she decided to put Dorothy, who lives in Kansas, in a white eighteen-hundred swimsuit that looks like a sailor dress."
"The same reason the people in Oz have yellow and green polka dot bloomers on."
"Good point. I guess it could be worse."
I left the dressing room and Erik began to laugh when he saw me. "That doesn't match." He said.
"No one in this play matches."
"We're off to see the Wizard!" Dennis came in, "Have you seen my hat?"
"It's over by the good witch's stuff." I turned to Erik, "Could you do me a favor and make sure the red shoes are in my basket? It's out on the prop table. You can't miss it."
Erik left.
"Is that your boyfriend?" Dennis asked.
"Yeah." I sighed, hoping Steph would forgive me. I was getting tired of explaining.
"What happen to his face?" Manuel asked, "He looks like the phantom of the opera."
"He gets that a lot." I evaded.
I took Toto, whose real name is Molly, from her owner and prayed she wouldn't whimper backstage where the mike would pick it up, or worse – wet on my white costume.
"Take care of my Molly." Molly's owner said, "Make sure you hang onto her collar so she doesn't jump out of the basket. And don't forget to hold her the way I showed you. Should I leave her blankie with her? It might make her feel safer. Bye, bye, Molly. Mommy'll be backstage to get you. Bye, bye."
Molly whimpered and I sighed. Last performance as I set down the basket, Molly had jumped out and slide about six inches. Her owner was still crying when I took the dog back for the next scene about seven minutes after.
"It's okay, Molly." I cuddled the dog and sighed. Yappy dogs. That's what I call them – you know, the spoiled little ones who sound like a squeaky toy? You'd think it was a baby.
"Good luck, Dorothy!" Erik smirked, "Break a leg. I love your costume."
I slit my eyes at him, but ruined the effect by laughing. Molly took one look at Erik and began to whimper. The orchestra started and I took a deep breath. Once I was on stage, I was never nervous, but there was always that moment, right before I went on that scared the breath out of me.
"Ready?" I whispered to Molly, "We've got to be good tonight for Erik."

Lions and Tigers and Eriks, Oh My!

One of the things I love about theater is that you never know what's going to happen. Everything went smoothly, (even though "Somewhere over the Rainbow" is a bit low for me) until we reached the munchkin land and the wicked witch burst in with a flash and puff of smoke. I set my basket down so the munchkin boy who was hiding behind the wooden flowers could get the ruby slippers out. I tried to look afraid and react to what the witch was saying, while feeling the munchkin untying my shoes. When he stopped, I slipped my foot out and into the ruby slipper.
That was when I realized with horror that the witch had skipped an entire page of dialogue! The munchkin boy panicked and frantically tried to untie my other shoe. Then the good witch was pushing me forward saying, "Step forward, Dorothy," and Dorothy only had one slipper on. I stuck my one ruby slipper out for the audience to see (to the vast amazement of the children who wandered how it changed) and then stepped back to kick off my other shoe.
Erik brought me a drink during intermission and helped my get the shaved plastic that served as snow out of my hair. Bob the Lion was pouring down sweat even with the ice packs around his waist.
"I'm going to die." He moaned.
"Just wait until we get to the jitterbug." I patted him on the back.

"How shall I do it!" The Wicked Witch bellowed out in the second half of the play. "Shall I draw them to me gently, or squash them like the bugs they are!"
"No!" A little kid in the audience screamed.
We stifled giggles backstage. Then it was the jitterbug - the best – albeit, the hardest part of the play. We trudged on stage.
"What's that sign say?"
"I'd turn back if I were you."
"What was that?" I cried as a weird laugh echoed through the auditorium.
We scattered around the stage before our feet stuck to the floor and began dancing by themselves in the jitterbug.
"Oh the jitter! Oh the bug! Oh the jitter bug!" It's hard to dance and sing at the same time. Erik must have been laughing during that scene. We collapsed from exhaustion and the flying monkeys dragged me off stage.
In the next scene I spotted Erik sitting with Tyler on his lap. Looks like they bonded.
"You'll never get out alive!" The witch slammed the door.
"Aunty Em!" I burst into tears, "I'm frightened!"
"Where are you going?" Erik asked Tyler.
"I'm gonna get that witch. She's making my cousin cry!" Tyler started towards the stage before Erik caught him.
We returned to Oz after I melted the witch with a bucket full of glitter, and entered the throne room shaking at the sight of the paper mask that looked more like an alien than anything else.
"Let's go home. I don't want to see the Wizard this bad." The lion backed up.
The wizard bellowed at us, "Who's there!"
"It's me." I stepped forward, "We've done what you told us. We brought you the broomstick of the Wicked Witch. We melted her."
There was no reply. I waited. Still nothing. Oh great. He forgot his lines. Ad lib.
"Please, Sir. We've been a long way. We did everything you told us. You promised to help!"
Still nothing. What was going on?
"You liquidated her, eh? Very resourceful." After a moment the voice came back.
"Yes Sir." I breathed a sigh of relief, "So we'd like you to keep your promise."
"Not so fast!" The voice bellowed, a little harsher than usual. "Come back tomorrow."
"But I want to go home now!" I touched my finger against Molly's face so that she turned her head towards the curtain. "Toto, what are you looking at?"
I walked over to the curtain and pulled it.
"The great and powerful Wizard of Oz – has spoken." Only it wasn't the great and powerful Wizard of Oz. It was Erik. The Wizard had fainted backstage.
"You're the Wizard of Oz?" This time the question was genuine.
"Yes. I'm afraid there's only me." Erik shrugged. In his black cloak and mask he was the scariest looking Wizard I'd ever seen, but I was never more glad to see him.
"Oh, you're a very bad man." I began to cry.
"No, dear. I'm a very good man. I'm just a very bad Wizard."
I almost grinned. Actually, he wasn't bad at all.

"I have your movie at home." A little girl, (dressed in a checkered blue dress that made me jealous) informed me after the play was over.
"Really?" I asked. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I wasn't Judy Garland. She'd figure it out.
"Is your hair real?" A woman asked.
"Yes." I answered. She was the third person since the show opened that thought my hair was a wig.
"You were wonderful. Do you take voice lessons?"
"No." I admitted, though I was going to ask my Erik to teach me as soon as he could do it without thinking of Christine and bursting into tears.
"Really? You should. I saw Phantom of the Opera on the tour the other day. You should be in that. You could be Christine."
She had no idea that that was the best compliment she ever could have given me. "Thank you." I smiled, glancing around for Erik. Wait until he heard that one.

Lauren rode with us on the way home. My hair was still braided and curled at the end, making me look much too young to be driving. We went out for Mexican food. Erik had no idea what to get, so I ordered him an enchilada with rice and beans. That's what my Erik liked anyway.
"So, how did you end up with Steph?" I asked, ignoring the waiter staring at Erik.
Erik grunted, "I'll never tell."
"That's not fair." I argued, "Oh well. I'll just ask her."
"Do you ever wonder how there are so many Eriks?" Erik spoke up.
"I guess they come from all the different versions. Mine's from the Yeston musical."
"Your Erik?" Erik teased, "You and Steph always refer to us as possessions. You don't own us."
"I didn't mean that." I laughed, "But you both have the same name and look a lot alike. How else are we supposed to indicate which Erik we're talking about?"
"How about, 'My master' and 'your master'?"
I laughed, "Fine. I wonder how MY master is doing?"
"Quite well, I should think." Erik replied.
"Lyndsi?" Lauren spoke up. "If your Erik is from the Yeston musical, how is he here? Didn't he die at the end of that one?"
"Don't remind me. You'll make me cry thinking about it. I don't know how, but after the last scene he was transported here, where I found him and nursed him back to health. And he's been around ever since."
Erik, who had been eating chips, began to gag on the salsa.
"You okay?" I asked, "I didn't think about it being hot."
"Went – down – my – windpipe." Erik choked.
After dinner and halfway home, way out in the country, I found to dismay that my headlights went out. "Shoot!" I groaned. "I can't see anything. There's not even a full moon!"
"That's alright." Erik replied, "We'll just stick Lauren on the hood with a flashlight."
"I don't think so!" Lauren shot back, "You get on the hood."
"I don't have to." Erik smirked, "I can see in the dark."
"Then you drive, because I can't even see the road." I said right as I drove off of it.
"Nice." Lauren commented after a moment.
"It's okay." I said, "I can back up."
"Except if your truck's in two feet of mud." Erik commonly dryly, as my tires spun.
I hit the steering wheel, "Why me! I hate driving! I hate cars! They ought to be outlawed!"
"Do we have the cell phone?" Lauren asked.
"No." I groaned. "Not unless Erik has one."
"If I had one I would have called Steph a long time ago."
"Well," I threw my hands in the air, "We're stuck."
"How far is it to civilization?" Erik asked.
"Unless you can talk to coyotes, pretty far. My only hope is that Mom will realize we're not there and send someone to look for us.
"That's good." Lauren sighed.
"No it's not." Erik cried, "They're going to think I kidnapped you! I can just see the headlines – masked man knocks out Wizard to play his role, then kidnaps the star."
"It wouldn't be the first time you kidnapped the star." I laughed.
"Hey! That was a long time ago."
"Whatever." I opened the door and stepped into the cold water, "Let's see if we can't push this thing out. Lauren, you ever been behind the wheel?"
"No."
"Well, let this be one of the occasions."
The tire spun, splashing water all over Erik and I. It lurched free and Lauren backed it onto the road, nearly going off the other side.
"Alright. I'm driving this time." Erik insisted.
I turned on the interior lights so that if anyone came they would at least see the car. Erik got us home safely and I crashed on the bed. Erik played the piano.

"Hi, Batman." Tyler waved at Erik the next morning.
"Hey Squirt." Erik shot back. Tyler tried to kick him, but Erik caught his foot. Later that day we put on jackets and snuck down to the river where we spent the day canoeing, until we were too cold to paddle anymore. Erik amused himself by rocking the boat from side to side.
"Don't you dare flip us!" I screamed, "It's way too cold to swim."
"Don't worry. If we flip and you look like you're drowning, I'll pull you out."
"That's comforting." I said sarcastically.
"We could go fishing." Erik suggested, bringing the boat to a stop.
"How about we go horseback riding." I suggested. "I hate fish."
"Suit yourself. I'll bet I'm a better rider than you."
"I'll bet you're not." I argued laughing. That started it. An hour later we were saddling up the horses.
"What is this?" Erik asked, "You call that a saddle?"
"It's Western. We actually sit on our horses."
"It's huge."
"Yeah, but we don't have any English ones. My friend does, but we have no way to get it. Can you ride like that?"
Erik threw it onto El Rey's back. "Sure." He mumbled.
I swung up onto Trail Blazer's back, "Race you then."
We didn't race. At least not at first. I let Erik get used to the western saddle. He was a good rider, though we did get a few stares from the neighbors. Soon it was time to head back to meet Steph and Erik. We released the horses and stopped by the house so that Tyler could say "bye" to Batman. Erik sang all the way back. I think he was excited to see Steph again. I was pretty excited myself.
"Here we are." I called as I pulled up to the bowling alley. Erik nearly flew out of the door. I sat back and laughed. I might never see him again after today, but I'd never forget him. Then I ran off to find my Erik – er – My master.

The next chapter will be us trying to figure out which Erik is which!