Wow. I don't think I've ever done this before. You know, not update in over two months(give or take). I blame this on the fact that school is taking up my time. This is actually a good thing, I guess, actually getting good grades in school. :o) Yay! Well,my computer broke down, updates will be even slower now because I have no computer of my own. :( I am doing as best asI can and I thought that maybe I would give you this chapter at least. Just please don't hurt me. :) Million thanks to my beta, Erik'sLittleLotte!

Information and Improv

Christine continued leafing through the newspaper articles tired of doing the same thing she had been doing all day.

Christine sat back in her chair and stretched in the uncomfortable cushion the library had. The library had to be at least twenty degrees lower than the temperature outside, which made Christine grab a jacket despite the heat outside.

There wasn't a sound in the old library other than the occasional coughing and shushing of the librarian. Not that there were a lot of people talking loudly, except Dustin.

Dustin looked absolutely bored with his sunglasses on flipping through more newspaper articles that he never cared to see. Maria didn't look as bored as he, mainly because her boyfriend kept sending her text messages every five minutes. She would laugh out loud sometimes, which was more work for the librarian.

They almost got kicked out when Maria started laughing loudly and snorting at the same time with something her boyfriend sent her.

"Maria, honestly," Christine scolded. "Come on, you know you don't have to be here if you don't want to. I promise we'll rehearse for the play after this."

Maria continued laughing as she put the cell phone in her pocket. "Yeah right. Not as if we need more practice anyway. Besides, If I weren't here you would be crying on top of the old newspapers from the frustration of having to do this by yourself."

Christine rolled her eyes. "That's not true."

Dustin sat down next to her and took the newspaper she was looking at from her. "Yeah, that's not true, they aren't old, these newspapers are from five years ago." He groaned when he saw the stack of newspapers that awaited him. "What are we looking for again?"

Christine barely glanced up from the newspaper she was leafing through. "Anything to do with Persian, an Angel of Death or a shah."

Maria shook her head. "Daaé you're impossible, you always need a tragedy in your life, you can't something good happen to you, for once?

Christine sighed. "I'm sorry, I know. It's just that- oh, I don't know."

Dustin glanced at a newspaper article. "Wait, is this one? 'Over-Eccentric Girl Tries To Find Flaws In Her Perfect Boyfriend'."

Christine looked at him in rage. "That's not funny."

"Doesn't make it any less true," Maria said to her. "You need to believe that Erik hasn't done anything wrong."

Christine looked at her unconvinced. "I know that it's true. I really have to believe that but…"

Dustin looked at her urging her on. "But…"

"Persia," Christine finished. "He's keeping something from me, something bad. Reza told me this before he died."

"That he was keeping something bad from you?"

"No," Christine told her. "He mentioned something about an Angel of Death and Persia. He wanted to tell me that, he never got the chance."

"Why?"

"Because Erik was there. After that, he wouldn't utter a word about it."

Maria put a hand on hers. "Christine, you cannot think badly about it. If Erik wants to tell you about it, he'll tell you when he is ready, he'll do it in his own time. You wouldn't want him to stick his nose in your business, would you?"

Christine sighed and closed the newspaper in front of her. "You're right. I know I wouldn't like it if someone were to do the same to me." Christine looked at Maria solemnly. "But Maria, you don't know him like I do. What if-"

"What if, what?" Maria interrupted. "He kills someone?" Maria laughed but Christine could only give a forced smile. "Doubt it. I've seen you two together and I know for a fact that Erik would never do anything to hurt you."

Christine did smile this time. "You're right."

"On a lighter note," Dustin said from behind Christine. "Have you guys ever googled your name?"

Maria rolled her eyes. "What in God's name are you talking about?"

Dustin sighed and signaled them to follow him to the computer. "You know Google you put in a search and it'll find anything to do with your name?" He sat down and typed in his name.

He sighed. "Nothing. That will soon change for I will be a star!"

Maria scoffed. "Sure, and I'm Freddy Kruger." She looked to Christine. "Speaking of stars, put in Christine's name."

Dustin put in her name and Phantom of the Opera was the first thing to pop up.

All three leaned away from the computer once they saw how many results there were. "Whoa."

"You even have a chat room!" Maria giggled.

"Hmm," Dustin said. "'Nude pictures, click here.'"
Christine slapped him over the head. "You're not funny."

Dustin laughed. "Sorry." Then he brightened. "Look, here's one from Sommerset, Pennsylvania. Doesn't have to do with the Phantom of the Opera."

Christine froze. Sommerset was her hometown when everything happened with Erik. They couldn't know that. "Don't click on it."

Maria looked at Christine. "Why not?" Then she turned to Dustin. "Click on it."

"Maria, no. Dustin, don't do it." When she saw Dustin wouldn't listen, she dug her nails into his shoulder. "Don't."

But it was too late he had already clicked on it and the first thing Christine saw was the picture of her high school auditorium burning down, the firefighters trying to tame the blaze.

Under that picture there was a pictures of James, and four other people.

Christine turned quickly and put a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. She shut her eyes in an attempt to shut out what Maria was reading. "Susan Granger, Peter Sommers and Scott Kamp burned alive under chandelier crash. James Rhodes, murdered."

Christine didn't turn.

"Oh, damn. Christine, I'm s-"

"I got to go," Christine made it to her messenger bag and grabbed it. "I got to get ready for tonight," she said quickly, making an excuse. She ran out the metal double doors and out into the warm afternoon.

Christine took a deep breath as she applied the red lipstick to her lips. There was something about performing that always made her jittery and nervous.

There was also the rush she got just before the curtain rises. It wasn't like performing in a sold out concert. The UCLA auditorium was smaller, more intimate, she enjoyed it immensely.

"God, I hate this Improv crap," she heard someone sigh. "I never get it." Maria was at the door of her dressing room whistling for her. "Come now, show time."

Christine tugged on her braids to make sure they were on right and took her large lollipop. They made their way to the stage and took their places just as the curtain rose.

The happy music began below them from the orchestra pit and onher cue she began to dance around the stage.

They were performing a comedic skit by one of their fellow students. Christine was the star-struck naïve girl in love with a man who was as clumsy as he was handsome. Maria was a friend of hers and Maria batted her eyes at the handsome suitor just as Christine was doing.

Christine looked at her infuriated and stomped from the stage like a child with a tantrum. She also shrieked, getting laughs from the audience.

Maria then, began to sing to her would-be suitor of her un-dying love for him.

The suitor raised his eyebrows and primped in a comical fashion and the audience laughed. They continued laughing as he tripped over his feet trying to get to Maria.

He sang to her of love and devotion and how he loved to wear blue tights. Then he grabbed her and took hold of her. Maria could only laugh and snort.

Christine tired to hold her laughter as she went out on stage and sat on a swing suspended from the ceiling. She began to swing and cry for her lost love.

Suddenly, a man appeared out of the shadows and from the look on his face and the way he showed his expressions with his hands, he showed he was infatuated with her.

Christine only giggled and almost fell off her swing when the suitor appeared. She gasped and fixed her hair and opened her mouth to speak wbut Maria beat her to it.

Christine stomped her foot infuriated, and crossed her arms.

"My dearest," Maria sang. "You are meant for me and I for you. We shall escape away together and-"

"No," Christine interrupted.

The people onstage gasped. It had been the first time her character spoke, they all thought she was a mute.

Maria looked at her flabbergasted. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

Christine looked at the suitor, "I love you."

Maria sang before Christine could finish. "You are meant for me and I for you-"

"Oh, shut up," Christine said taking out the braids in her hair. Christine tried again. "I love you, de-"

Maria then sang out a high note.

Christine glared. "This is a contest?"

Maria nodded and belted out a note higher than the last.

Christine rolled up her imaginary sleeves and sang even higher.

Maria fixed her glare and continued with an ever higher note, lasting long enough to take her breath.

Christine took a deep breath and out beat her by a long shot. Christine was left without breath but Maria got the pictures.

"Meep," was all she had to say. To this, the audience laughed.

Christine began to laugh but Maria was not finished. Instead, she started shrieking at the top of her lungs.

People on stage covered their ears and there was the sound affect of a window crashing over the speakers.

Christine brought this to an end by taking her lollipop and hitting Maria in the face with tit. Everyone clapped when they saw her hit the floor.

She bowed and fixed her gaze on the suitor. "You are meant for me, and I for you. I love you and always will.

The suitor took her hands and they sang to each other. "We shall escape together and be with each other every day." Just then the suitor's eyes stayed glued to a person walking in front of him with blue tights. "Anywhere you- ooh! Blue tights."

The suitor left Christine alone on the stage as soon as he followed the girl off the stage.

Christine huffed and shrugged to the audience. "Men."

To this, the audience began to applaud and cheer. When the curtain fell, they made room for the next set.

Next Chapter is being written out now. That will be soon to come and it will also have to do with the plot other than this filler chapter. :o) Please review if you like and I will have my next chapter up soon.