Authors Note (Jen)- Alright, here be chappy 2!
Chapter 2
Discovery and Rehersal
When morning came, there was a slight knock on the door. It startled Jen out of her slumber, and she groggily went to answer it. At the door was a servant with an envelope. She snatched it from her hand, and smiled, then shut the door. Inside was a letter reminding them of the rehearsal for Hannibal later that afternoon. Jen looked at it strangly, then to the corner where the percussion sticks and cello were. She made a strange face, then realization hit her. "We're in the orchestra here. We play for the Opera…I'm a percussionist and Gabby is a Cellist…" she grinned and laughed. "Gabby!"
"Oi? Wha?" her friend asked sleepily, opening her eyes slightly. "We're in the Orchestra here! And, we have rehearsal, so get up!"
"What?"
"You heard me! We have to go rehearse." She was already pulling clothing out of the drawer on her side of the room. Pants and shirts that fit the time period. There were also skirts, but as a percussionist, she figured pants would be better. With daylight streaming through the window, the twosome hade a better chance to look about the room. Gabby was looking at the cello she now 'owned' and smiled as she played a few notes. Jen found music on the desk and thumbed through it. Percussion parts- timpani and keyboard percussion, as well as cello. The string pieces she handed to her friend, who looked through it. "How long do we have to learn this?"
"Today. By the time of the Opera. I believe the production of Hannibal is tonight." She said, looking at the schedual she found, in her handwriting, with the music. Once again, odd. "Damn, all I can find is dressed…" Gabby muttered, pulling out a skirt. "Hey, at least their all black!" Jen joked. Her friend shrugged and glared playfully. "Doesn't change the fact that they're dresses when you have pants…"
"Percussionsist!" Jen said triumphantly, grinning. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"
"I don't know, but at school that means we don't wear skirts to concerts…so I guess same thing applies here. Now stop complaining and get dressed! We gotta get to rehearsal."
"Fine, fine." Gabby muttered. A grin appeared on her face however, when she thought of what was about to happen. "Hey, let's make fun of La Carlotta."
"What?" Jen asked, looking up from her music. "Today is the Hannibal rehearsal, yes?"
"Uh-huh…" Jen replied, not following. "And who sings…very badly, I might add, and ends up with a backdrop on her?" Gabby asked, her brown eyes holding a mischievious look.
"The Prima Donna, La Carlotta." Jen replied, and a smile appearing on her face. "Perhapes we shall see our lovely le phantom." She said. "I hope, though he IS the Opera ghost for a reason." Gabby said with a shrug. "Yeah, we will have to look fast to catch him. Maybe after rehearsal we can look for secret entrances to his lair."
"Maybe." Gabby agreed, getting her supplies. "Shall we?"
"Let's." Jen agreed, grabbing her mallets and music.
XxXxXxXxX
The maestro tapped his baton on the stand again, and Jen sighed. "Once more, from the beginning." Jen sighed and went back to tuning the drums…again. Timpani were too tiresome. She glared at Carlotta, who was on the stage behind them. It was ALL her fault. The 'diva' couldn't sing her way out of a paperbag. The other percussionist with Jen smiled at her over the drum he was adjusting. She sighed and looked once again for the infamous Opera Ghost. The music began and she played her part. They stopped once again as Jen had expected, this time to introduce Andre and Firmen, and the Vicomte. She had to admit, though she didn't love Raoul, she didn't hate him. Unlike some other phans. Gabby was sitting with her cello in the strings section, so they couldn't talk. Jen sighed. It was going to be a long day.
XxXxXxXxX
Gabby was enjoying herself. Everytime they would stop playing she would imitate Carlotta, much to the amusment of her fellow players. She saw Jen watching from behind, sitting on her timpani stool. They would still have to get used to looking different, but it didn't matter. Just then the music started again. La Carlotta's voice drifted down to them, and Gabby's cringed slightly, but also had to bite her tongue and not laugh. Beside her, the other stings players were doing the same. She waited for her part to come in, and suddenly remembered what was about to happen. "Think of me, think of me fondly when we say goodbye…" the soprano's voice carried a little too well. Gabby turned to look, knowing her friend would have a better view, searching for the Phantom. The backdrop fell, and she couldn't help but laugh. The singer's face was one of pure shock and rage, and she threw another tantrum, leaving. The two new managers were having a fit on stage, she could tell. This Opera thing was fun.
XxXxXxXxX
Jen grinned and laughed, and smiled even wider when she caught a slight, fading glimpse of a figure in black climbing about the rafters. He was there, and she was determined to find him. Later, of course, and preferably when Christine Daae wasn't around. She was shaken from her thoughts when rehersal was once again started by a tap of Monsieur Reyer's baton on a music stand. She rolled on the drum and smiled, happily playing music. Only a few hours to go. Then she could start her search for the Phantom.