-1"Cristina, you should so do this more often, cause that was amazing!" said Megan, practically squeezing her best friend to death after the benefit. "Not to mention your outfit is pretty much incredible." She laughed. "So jealous right now."
"Yeah, well this is the first time I've done anything like this." Cristina laughed softly. "It was beyond awesome."
"Excuse me?" It was Janet Harris, school newspaper editor, involved in, like, a billion clubs, a senior, and voted Most Likely to Succeed. Cristina felt perplexed. What would someone like Janet Harris want with her? She'd never even so much as looked her way in the halls.
"Think I can get an interview?" she asked, getting out a pad and a pen. "I'm thinking along the lines of 'Eastside High School's Rising Star'. You like the title?"
Cristina felt herself blush. "Well, yeah, um, thanks," she said awkwardly. She looked at her best friend. "Megan, just give me a minute okay? I'll be back later."
Megan smiled, and shook her head. Just the day before, her best friend was practically nobody, and now she was "East High School's Rising Star". It was kind of a lot to digest, but really, Cristina was her best friend, and she couldn't be happier for her.
"Uh, it's Megan, right?" Ryan Prescott made his way over to her, a bouquet of flowers in hand. She smiled back. "Those for me?" she asked, teasingly.
He laughed, those bright blue eyes shining. "You're funny. No, I just wanted to congratulate Cristina and everything. You know where I can find her?"
Whoa. Not to mention, like, the hottest guy in school was paying attention to Cristina. And he was giving her flowers, and everything! But still, it wasn't really fair to be jealous about Ryan. After all, he'd known Cristina since they were, like, seven. It was only natural that he wanted to give her flowers.
"Um, she's apparently giving an interview with Janet Harris," she said. "Maybe you should wait by the girls' locker room?" He smiled. "For sure." And with that, he turned on his heel, no doubt to find Cristina.
Cristina came back from Janet's interview feeling all at once proud of herself, embarrassed, and kind of pleased at all the attention she was getting. She suppressed a laugh at imagining Carlie's face the next day. No doubt she'd be furious. And no doubt Cristina would have to pay for stealing her limelight somehow.
Stop being so negative, she told herself. This is your special night, so quit worrying about what's going to happen tomorrow.
"Cristina, hey!" She felt a pair of arms wrap around her in a friendly hug, and looked up to see Ryan, hot as ever.
"Ryan! Hey, it's great to see you again, how've you been doing?" He smiled. "Good, I guess, but I've missed you."
Cristina rolled her eyes playfully. "Please. You would have come talked to me by now if that were true." Ryan regarded her very seriously indeed at that. "Cristina, I'm really sorry, but I've been busy and stuff." He coughed embarrassedly.
"Look, either way, there's something I've been meaning to ask you." His gaze searched her face. "I know a really nice new restaurant only a few blocks from here. I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go out to dinner with me."
She looked at him incredulously. "You mean, like, on a date?" Ryan smiled. "Yeah, well we could even go now if you like." He dropped his gaze. "Or, you know, we don't have to if you don't want to…"
"No, Ryan, of course I want to," said Cristina. "Look, let me just get changed out of this frilly thing, and we can go." He smiled. "Sounds good."
She locked the door to the locker room, hardly believing her luck. Ryan just asked me on a date, Cristina thought, still giddy. God, when you answer prayers, you sure are fast.
"Cristina," said a soft voice. A man's voice. She quickly pulled a shirt on, and some jeans. "Who's there?" she asked fearfully.
"There is no need to be alarmed. It's me. Your angel," he said in that same soft voice. Now Cristina was really starting to feel creeped out. A mysterious guy talking to her in the girls' locker room, where she couldn't see him?
"You needn't worry about me looking, if that's what you're afraid of," he said. "I do have more integrity than that." Cristina gulped, unsure.
"And now you must find me. Come by the last shower stall on the right." She turned the corner, afraid of what she might find lurking there, but the stall was empty. "I'm here!" she called out.
"But I'm not," he said. "Sing. Sing, and it will open, and you will find me." Unsure of how this would turn out, but deciding to "carpe diem" like he said, and take the risk, she sang a few arbitrary notes.
She gasped as she and the stall sank down, like an elevator into what looked like empty, musty space. And finally, they landed in what looked like an old storage room, or a basement.
Only, this was more peculiar than your average high school storage room. There was an organ at the far center, and musical instruments everywhere. Red velvet curtains adorned the walls, and there was a four-poster bed draped in red silk in a corner. Another shower/elevator stood in the other corner, no doubt leading to the boys' locker room.
But the strangest thing of all was the man standing in the middle of the room. He had black hair, and he was wearing a tux. A black mask covered the upper half of his face, and he bowed slightly upon seeing her.
"Welcome, Cristina. I am your angel of music, and this is my home."