A.N: This is a bit of a slow chapter, and so will the next one. I want to have a little less drama before I introduce Christine and Raoul into the mix… -) I'm all evil now… And, if you couldn't tell, Jonathan and Sarine are both British.
Chapter Seven: A curse of broken hearts
Sarine woke up the next morning before Erik and silently got out of bed. Finding more costume dresses in a closet in the room, she got dressed and walked out, leaving a white ribboned rose on the pillow. She walked through the hallway into her office, quickly fixed her hair, then left. Hoping to practice her part before anyone awoke, she walked out to the stage and picked up the music off of the floor. Damning herself for throwing it on the ground when she walked out yesterday, she dusted it off and recited the script.
'Madame Giry:
Christine Daae could sing it sir.
Andre:
What? A chorus girl? Very silly.
Madame Giry:
She has been taking lessons from a great teacher.
Andre:
…Who?
Christine:
I don't know his name, Monsieur.
Madame Giry:
Let her sing for you, Monsieur.
(Andre gestures for her to take center stage and the conductor begins. 'Think of Me')
Think of me
Think of me fondly
When we've said goodbye
Remember me
Once in a while
Please promise me you'll try
Then you'll find
That once again you long
To take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought for me
(outfit changes to concert dress)
We never said our love was evergreen
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember
Stop and think of me
Think of all the things we've shared and seen
Don't think about the way things might have been
Think of me
Think of me waking
Silent and resigned
Imagine me
Trying too hard to put you from my mind
Recall those days
Look back on all those times
Think of the things we'll never do
There will never be a day
When I won't think of you!
"Bravo!" came a cry from the audience.
"Who is it?" Sarine asked into the darkness.
Slowly the lights brightened and there was Jonathan, slowly turning the dial. He was a mess, one side of his shirt was untucked, his hair was a mess, and he was wobbling very badly.
"My god!" Sarine yelled, jumping off the stage and running over to him. She held him at an arms distance. "Jonathan, you're bloody drunk!"
"Well I should bloody well be!" he said, hobbling away from her towards the stage. "I wait for you to come…back. You d-didn't. 'Honest girl who's gone and slept with her patron.' Indeed! More like 'slept with her Phantom'."
Sarine looked at him, shell-shocked, "How dare you!"
Jonathan turned to her, more angry and hurt than drunk, "Oh please. Your corset isn't even tied. You slept with him just to get an opera."
Sarine slapped him so hard that he fell down, his hand to his face. He stood back up, looked at the blood from his lip, and then backhanded Sarine. She fell, hitting her head hard on the floor.
"Where's Sarine?" Erik asked, walking onstage.
Jonathan looked at Erik with the most distaste he could muster. He kicked Sarine lightly.
"Here's your little whore," he said, turning to leave.
Erik jumped off the stage and walked over. When he saw Sarine collapsed on the floor, he ran over and picked her up. Making sure she was okay, he pulled her close in an embrace, then set her unconscious body back on the floor gently. He then stood up, walked swiftly to Jonathan, and whirled him around.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Erik asked. "You had no right!"
Jonathan shoved Erik off of him, "I've known and loved her for three years. You have known her, what, five days? YOU had no right."
Knowing best what a broken-hearted man's anger can do, Erik just let Jonathan walk out. Walking back to Sarine, he saw that Jonathan bumped into Amy and Rose on his way out. They looked oddly to Jonathan, then to Erik.
"What's up with him?" Rose asked, setting down a bag full of groceries.
"A broken heart," Erik said, kneeling and looking at Sarine. "Can either of you go and get a wet rag so I can try to clean and wake Sarine up?"
When Rose ran to get the rag, Amy kneeled down next to Erik, "He didn't mean it. He rarely drinks, but when he does, he's bad. And losing Sarine didn't help any either. You shouldn't judge him by this."
"I know," Erik said, taking the rage as Rose came back and placing it on Sarine's forehead. "I know what it feels like. He must have a will much stronger than I do. I would have gone crazy and threatened his life. By just walking away, he kept her love and her respect."
As Sarine came to, she looked around, "Where's Jonathan?"
"He left," Amy said, taking the rag and wiping the blood away from Sarine's lip and the cuts on her face that opened. "What did you say to him?"
"Nothing. He accused me of sleeping with Erik just to get an opera, so I slapped him," Sarine said, sitting up with Erik's help.
"Did you?" Rose asked.
Sarine glared at her, "No, I did not. I'm not like that."
Erik helped Sarine stand up and held her to him as he led her to the stage. He lifted her up and sat her on the edge. Sarine looked at everyone and gave them a reassuring smile.
"Well, one drama after another," she said, laughing. "Well, we might want to get to work. We are so behind because of my terrible antics. Erik, can you teach the chorus songs to the girls? I'm going to go see if the set support system still works."
"Actually, I can practice with the girls. We'd all feel better if you were accompanied. Especially by Erik because he knows the fly system so well," Amy said, taking the music from Erik.
Erik looked at Sarine and smiled mischievously. He walked over, picked her up, and carried her off.
"They'll never get any work done that way," Tara said, coming onto the stage.