Title: Good Riddance
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Anything anyone ever writes that is Phantom involved will belong to Leroux. Except if, you know, it belongs to someone else.
Summary: (Modern Telling)The final year of high school can be tough, even with the best friends in the world. Christine Daae knows this for a fact. The account of her senior year- new plays, loosing friends and much more. Most importantly, meeting Erik...
Chapter 7- Sadie Hawkins Must Die
-running away for awhile/
catch you on the flipside/
of a smile-
-"Flipside" by The Paper Hearts
Christine
"New rumor alert!" Meg yelped as she pranced to my ballet locker.
"Oh, heavens, what now?" I sighed. As my audition number neared I was fretting more and more and I did not need scandal to better my mood.
Meg glanced eagerly from left to right before bowing her head and hissing, "Carly's moving in one week. She quit school. She's pursuing modeling!"
My rolled my eyes, "For some reason, I doubt it."
A heavy voice behind stabbed, "Don't doubt it, Christine. Meg's right."
I faced Carly, her face pouting and sighing. Janie was in tears next to her.
"I've had it with this place, and I'll never get famous here. It's time for me to head out."
Somehow, I was a bit depressed by Carly leaving. She was a part of my history and childhood.
"I'll miss you, Carly," I said standing and hugging her. She hugged me back.
"You, too, dear," she said. "I'll visit in the summer and Christmas perhaps. If I don't get too busy."
"Have you gotten any jobs lined up?" I asked, patting my hair into place.
"Yes," she nodded, packing her things from her locker into her bag. "I've got a gig for Gap. Crazy, eh? I've got a call from Ford models as well. I'm leaving soon."
She smiled at me long and hard.
"So goodbye, Christine. I've always liked you."
That was when things began to change.
333
PhantomFace has logged on. I heaved a sigh. That was Erik's name. I searched for him online. It was pretty easy to find. Now, I couldn't decide whether to use my gathered information or not.
"What're you doing?" Charlotte asked, poking her head in my room.
"Nothing!" I hiccuped, clicking away from my buddy list. She peered over my shoulder before I could hide, though.
"Who is PhantomFace?" she asked, biting into an apple. Then realization hit her. "Oh!"
She giggled.
"Chris has got a lover!" she sang.
"How was your audition?" I sighed. She shrugged.
"Fine. Nothing special. I called Nat about his little outburst. No answer," she rolled her eyes. I smiled. Charlotte rested a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, Chris?" she whispered."Instant messaging him means nothing. Do it."
Then, she left, a skip in her step and a song on her lips.
One hour later, I finally gathered a hint of courage.
SweetSoprano: Hello, Erik? This is Christine.
There was an excruciatingly long pause. Finally-
PhantomFace: Hi. How did you get my name?
SweetSoprano: I searched for you. Online. How are you? Your audition?
PhantomFace: Better than I thought it would.
SweetSoprano: What did you perform?
PhantomFace: I performed a monologue from the play. I did decently.
I smiled. This wasn't so bad.
SweetSoprano: Good. I hope you get a good role. You deserve it.
PhantomFace: Thank you. You as well.
I smiled again.
SweetSoprano: You don't have to be so formal, Erik.
Another long paused ensued.
PhantomFace: When are results posted?
Suddenly, Charlotte entered.
"I got the cast list. Giry said you're the 'boo-er'. She didn't want to give you a big role because she's got you lined up the lead for The Nutcracker," she said. The news pleased me.
"Fabulous. What'd you get?"
"Buttercup," she said scanning the list, nonchalantly.
SweetSoprano: I'm not sure. Wait, Charlotte just came in and said that Mrs. Giry
is on the phone. Hold on.
"Awesome, Lotte!"
"Yea, guess who got Westley?" she mumbled. "Rayne."
I took the cast list from her and began to type it up for Erik. He got Count Rugen.
"So, how is the conversation going?" Charlotte asked, falling onto my bed. "Falling in love?"
"Shut up," I said.
"Oh!" she shouted. "Ask him to the dance!"
My heart panged. "Get out."
She rolled off the bed and crawled out the door.
PhantomFace: K.
PhantomFace: Hello? I'm kind of nervous.
SweetSoprano: Hold on.
PhantomFace: Sigh. Alright.
SweetSoprano: Ok. Here you are-
The Princess Bride Cast List
Grandson: Leo Terry
Grandfather/Narrator: Marco Ellis
Buttercup: Charlotte Daae
Westley: Rayne Chagny
Fezzik: James Marlon
Inigo Montoya: Nat Persion
Vizzini: Andy Starr
Prince Humperdink: Holden Salinger
Count Rugen: Erik Dautron
Albino: Trey Myers
Old Woman (Booer): Christine Daae
Miracle Max: Myke Edwards
Valerie: Leslie Lane
Impressive Clergyman:Todd Edwards
King: Alex Hamon
Queen: Jill Brewer
Assistant Brute: Mark Lincoln
Mother: Meg Giry
Yellin: Sam Carson
PhantomFace: Congratulations, Christine. :)
SweetSoprano: Me, congrats? You got Count Rugen! And Mrs. Giry has never even seen you in a play! You must really impress her.
PhantomFace: I suppose. Congrats anyway. :)
His cheesy smiley faces made me grin.
SweetSoprano: Thanks, you're sweet. You missed it- today in first period, Nat made a huge outburst on the intercom. It was about the Sadie Hawkin's Dance.
PhantomFace: Did he? Why?
SweetSoprano: Yea, no one knows. shrug Did you go to dances at your old school?
I sighed, No shit they have dances, moron.
PhantomFace: Yea, most schools do.
SweetSoprano: Yea, I guess so.
PhantomFace: Yea.
SweetSoprano: So, are you going?
I regretted asking immediately.
PhantomFace: Girls invite guys, isn't it? Probably if I'm invited.
It was out before I realized I had thought it.
SweetSoprano: Would you like to go with me?
PhantomFace: I think I have to work. I have to go now. Sorry.
I went to the bathroom and threw up.
333
"Pass me the orange juice," Charlotte said, reading the morning paper. I pushed it at her. She glanced down at me. "What's your problem?"
I was silent for five minutes before I said, "I asked Erik to the Sadie Hawkin's Dance."
Orange juice spewed everywhere and Charlotte began choking.
"Oh my God!" I said, slapping her on the back. She shook her head.
"You-ehurrmmu- asked-hhemeru- Fedora Boy!" she choked.
"Swallow before talking please!" I said. She managed to calm down as Dad walked in.
"You alright, Lotte?" he asked, opening the fridge and straightening his tie.
"Yes, Christine just tried to murder me, that's all," she spat, rubbing her throat.
I sighed, "Put me out of my misery please."
Charlotte's eyes bulged, "Did you do it on purpose?"
"No! Yes! I don't know," I dropped my head into my cereal.
"Christine has a date for the dance!" she squealed. She stood up and started dancing.
"Really?" Dad said. "With who?"
"Erik Dautron!" Lotte interrupted. "He's a cutie!"
"Well, I want to meet him before this dance," Dad laughed. "Do you girls need money for new dresses? And Charlotte, I've got those costumes in my office."
"Okay. Christ let's go dress shopping after school. You need to get a pink one! It will be long and swaying!" she said dramatically.
"Lotte-"
"Okay, maybe red. Or light blue. Hey, black's good-"
"Charlotte-"
"Meg's just going to die! She'll freak ou-"
"HE SAID NO!" I yelled. Dad glanced up from his wallet. He left money on the counter and moved to us.
"Well, I'm sure you'll both have dates, Chris," he kissed my head and hugged Charlotte. "Have a good day, girls."
Charlotte stood frozen from her happy dance.
"HE SAID NO?"
"Yes, Charlotte," I sighed. "He said NO."
She fell into her chair, "I need coffee. Not orange juice."
333
I managed to avoid Erik the entire day. The dance was on Friday. Maybe if I got past the day, I could start talking to Erik again. I doubted it.
"Honestly, maybe he does have to work, Chris," Charlotte comforted. She was driving us to the mall to look at dresses. I was not in the mood.
"Yea," I sighed. "Sure."
Nat wasn't at school that day. Meg was extremely distraught. She had wanted to ask him to the dance.
"Well," she has hissed at me in between combinations during ballet. "I'm asking Myke Edwards. I need to have a date so I can tell him what corsage to buy."
20 black dresses (black and white theme and Charlotte would not wear white "Black is sophisticated!"), five pairs of high heels and two diet cokes later, Charlotte had her dress. And I had nothing.
"You're hopeless," she said on the drive home. "We've got play practice every night this week so you'll have to go get one before the dance on Friday."
I drooped my head onto the window of the crap-mobile. Of course I would. This week could not get any worse. Until it did.
333
PhantomFace has logged on.
I glanced up from my report for English and sighed. Erik had signed off and on about ten times in the past hour. It was like a reminder of "HEY! YOU ASKED ME OUT! I SAID NO!" about every six minutes. Finally I logged off.
Wait, I thought. What if he's doing it to get my attention?
Don't be stupid, I challenged myself. It's nothing of the sort. He's computer is probably messed up.
I signed back on anyway. There was nothing for about twenty minutes as I continued on my report. He signed off again. This time, he didn't get back on.
I shut down my computer and clicked off the lamp.
"Night, Lotte," I called down the hall. There was a grunt from the room across mine. I smiled and crawled into bed. Suddenly, my night stand began shaking. I glanced at my cell phone. 2 New Messages.
Deciding it was Meg, I flipped my phone open. Instead, it was Nat. I read-
Hey, congrats on part. You rock Chris! Cya tomoro!
Confused, I laughed and went to the next message. I didn't recognize the number.
Hi, its Rayne. Got ur # frm Meg. Just wantd 2 say hey. L8r.
I rolled my eyes. There was nothing I loved more than boys with chat lingo.
Without any replies, I went to bed.
333
Red with pink lace. Blue satin with flowers. Black strapless. I sighed. Dress shopping on my own was worse than with Charlotte. I flipped through the hangers. It was Friday afternoon. The dance was in four hours and I was still lacking a dress and a date. This time I really sighed.
"How about this one?" I heard a voice say from behind me. I spun around, knocking into a rack of dresses.
"Uh-oh!" I screeched. Luckily, my attacker caught it and no damage was done. I let out a breath of relief. Before me, holding a light salmon colored strapless dress with three tiny bows lined down the top, was Rayne.
I cleared my throat and rubbed the back of my neck.
"I didn't know you had such a sense of style," I said, taking the dress from him. It wasn't so bad. I vaguely remembered Charlotte trying it on days before and referring to herself as a "very very fancy fish out of water". I liked it.
He shrugged, "What can I say."
I scanned the dress, "You think?"
He nodded.
After I tried it on and received approval, Rayne added words to the dress.
"So," he said as I twirled in front of the mirror. "Do you have a date?"
I froze but laughed nervously.
"You realize I'm not Charlotte right?"
His face blanched, "Really? Oh, God!"
I paled and he laughed.
"Just kidding! Of course I know it's you, Charlene."
"Christine," I nodded.
"Sure, of course. That's what I said."
I smiled. His blonde hair fell over his eye. I shook my head, hesitantly.
"I'm dateless."
Rayne crossed his arms. "What a coincidence. So am I."
333
Our dance was to be held at the local Convention Center. Rayne escorted me in his little red BMW. Subtle, indeed. Girls with piled on make-up and curly hair and boys with bow ties and uncomfortable smiles were mingling every which way. I spotted Meg in a puffy purple dress with her massive date- actor/football player, Myke. I gave a little wave and she nodded at Rayne next to me. I rolled my eyes with a smile as we made our way to her.
As she squealed and hugged me, she whispered, "You here with Rayne and Charlotte's here with Nat. This is all mixed up."
"She is?" I cried. "Where?"
Meg nodded to Charlotte about ten feet away. Nat had one hand draped around her shoulder and was looking around the room in a very uncaring matter.
His little outburst on the intercom had been "a cry for help" he had said. The principal had helped him with one week's detention.
Before Rayne and I made it to their circle, Mrs. Giry stopped me.
"Evening, Mrs. Giry," Rayne said. "You look lovely."
She nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Chagny. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to speak to Christine alone."
Rayne nodded and headed over to talk to Janie and Holden.
"Christine," she said. "I wanted you to be the first to know. I'm changing the ballet for the year."
I peered up at her, "You are? To what?"
"A Dance Gala! I realized that we cannot do The Nutcracker this year."
"Why not?" I cried. "I've been in The Nutcracker more times than I can remember! I know it backwards and forwards."
"Because, Christine," she grinned. "Talent scouts are coming this year! I plan on having five ballets, three contemporaries, three jazz, two taps, an Argentine Tango, a mambo and possibly a swing."
I heaved a deep breath, "That is a lot of dance numbers for a ballet company the size of ours. I mean, we've got 20 girls and four boys."
"I know, I know," she said. "Thats why many of them will be solos. The point is, Christine, I'm very excited about having your talents shared with those who can take you further. The entire company will dance four ballets and then the four most promising students will get solos. Or duets. I'm not entirely sure yet, Christine, but," she beamed, "I want you to be the star. You've got a ballet solo, a contemporary duet, a jazz trio, the Argentine Tango and the mambo- you need one more solo."
"Wait-" I challenged, "I haven't done a mambo in a year!"
"Oh, pish posh, you'll be fine."
"What about a partner?" The best male dancer our company had ever seen had left the year before to join ABT- the American Ballet Theater. His name was Charlie and he had been one of my best friends for years.
"Well," she whispered. "This is my thought. Do you remember when I asked you to help me audition Rayne and Erik? I told you one was from a prestigious Theater Company and one had parent's who ran a theater. Erik's parents ran the theater. He had an extensive training in dance. I'm not sure what yet, but I was hoping you might speak with him about it."
I did a half laugh, half shriek, "Mrs. Giry? Can't we take care of this on Monday? I'd like to enjoy the dance if that's not a problem."
She paused but relented on a grin, "Certainly, Christine. We'll discuss it Monday."
As she left, Rayne stood next to me.
"Shall we?"
I took his arm and whisked me into the dance.
333
I have always hated dances. Mostly because I've never really gone with a date and the only dances I had been to, I didn't like what I saw. Kids making out in corners, grinding on the dance floor, loud repetitive rap music. It was not my scene. Apparently, it wasn't Rayne's either. The look on his face at the sight of what laid before us for the evening wasn't exactly what he had in mind.
"Uh," he mumbled. "This is different from my last school."
I had to smile, "This is what kids in the middle of nowhere do for fun when they have nothing else."
He smiled. The rap music ended and a slow song started. He gave me a questioning look. I shrugged and we walked toward the dance floor.
If you had asked me on that first day of school if I ever thought I would be dancing with the California God, I would have laughed then probably gotten sick at the idea. That was kind of the same feeling now. He slipped a hand around my waist and I wrapped my hands behind his neck, which was difficult I might add due to the fact that he was about a foot over my height.
I hadn't talked to Charlotte since school ended. I searched the floor for her. She and Nat were in the middle of the floor. It looked like he was telling her a joke because she was laughing in hysterics. I smiled. Sometimes I just wished her and Nat would get together since she was so happy around him.
Rayne cleared his throat, "So. What after this?"
The image of Rayne and I partaking in the typical high school dance events freaked me out a bit so I shrugged.
"I uh- don't know."
He peered down at me, "Christine, you're the nicest girl at school. And you're gorgeous. But I really think of you as a friend. And I'm very glad you came with me tonight but I think we both agree that you'd rather be here with someone else."
I looked up at him, "Speak for yourself."
He gave me a look, "Who? Charlotte? Nah, she and Nat are obviously an item. But," he blushed at the tips of his ears, "I do have my eye on someone."
I let my arms fall from around Rayne's neck. I lifted onto my toes and kissed his cheek, "Well, go get her then, Rayne."
He smiled at me and I turned to leave. Dances were for people those with they're eyes stuck on someone there- not for those with their ears stuck on someone that wasn't.
333
Walking home was very cold. Charlotte had her car so I was stuck with my shoes. The entire way home I thought of what Rayne has said. Why had I im-ed Erik and asked him to go to the dance? Was I lonely? What was it about him that kept me so interested?
I walked to the front door. Dad was at a dinner meeting late so no one was home. Something on the welcome mat outside our door caught my eye. I bent down to pick up a white rose. Attached was a white note with black ink scrawled across it.
Christine-
I'm sorry. I bet you looked beautiful tonight.
-Erik
A huge, baffled smile erupted from my face. I peered around but no sign of anyone was present. I unlocked my door and went inside. I set the rose on the kitchen counter and fixed myself a drink and pulled out a carton of coffee flavored ice cream. Closing the door with my hip, I carried the food into the living room. I set things down and flipped on the TV. Dirty Dancing was on so I left it.
Patrick Swayze and the girl with the nose had just danced in the water when I heard little pops. Thinking it was Chaucer, I stood and moved toward her room. But then I saw little rocks hitting our window. I ran to the window and opened the curtains. A boy in a fedora with one hand full of rocks and the other full of roses stood before my window.
"Erik! Why didn't you just ring the doorbell!" I cried, secretly tickled pink. He frowned.
"Should I go to the door?"
I laughed, "What are you doing?"
He looked at the flowers then the rocks, then at me.
"I'm sorry. I wanted to go to the dance before, but..."
"What?" I asked.
He looked at his shoes and even in the dark I knew he was blushing. "I was scared."
"Of me?" I cried. He nodded.
"No girl, especially not one that looks like an angel, has ever wanted to go somewhere with me."
Now, it was my turn to blush.
"Meet me at the door."
I let the curtain fall and hurried to the door. He met me there.
"Hi," he said.
"Hello."
I'd never been so nervous in my life. Not even my first ballet audition.
"Here," he offered me the flowers. I took them and stared for a second.
"They're gorgeous."
"You look stunning," he said. I glanced down at my dress and grinned.
"Thanks."
He nodded and was silent a long time. Finally, he said, "I need to go."
My heart fell, "Alright. Well, I'll... just...um-"
"Get online tonight?"
I nodded hurriedly, "Sure."
He smiled and looked into my eyes for the first time.
And I was lost completely.