Chapter 3

I found my task rather easy, and composing always lifted my spirits. Having Raoul standing there in the dance studio laughing at me did nothing to improve my mood and I was this close to forgetting our little truce and ringing that dullard's neck. After all, I had said it myself that oaths aren't worth anything except to catch gulls with...whatever that meant, but I had tried to turn my attentions away from the temptation and found that some folding chairs needed straightening out.

Another few measures came to my mind and I turned my attention back the piano to try them out. Nodding in satisfaction, I wrote them down on the blank lines of the paper. To make things easier and more efficient, I decided to combine several songs together into a flowing medley. It was going to be beautiful, although not spectacular on the piano; I was planning on coercing the Opera's orchestra to record it using their 100 piece ensemble. I already had an ingenious idea for our freestyle song forming in my head.

Smiling in satisfaction, I added a few finishing touches and played the entire composition through several times before moving over to my digital piano that was hooked to a computer. I hate computers but found that for creating orchestra music, I would be foolish for not investing in one. Most of the time, I was ready to throw that damned thing into the lake, but miraculously managed to rein in my frustration. I laid the main tracks down and proceeded to add in the bass and other background sections. The sound of the synthesized instruments that blared through the speakers annoyed me to no end. How could digitized sound even remotely compare to a life orchestra? I will admit, however, that at least it gave me a closer idea of what the final result would be compared to simply playing all parts on the piano.

I saved the file, printed out the different sections, and burned a CD of the synthesized music to practice with until I got the orchestra recorded. I organized the papers and was about go back to the studio when I noticed the Vicomte standing just outside my music room.

"Lurking in doorways is not only rude, Chagney, it's also quite hazardous to your health when they happen to me my doorways," I said darkly, glaring at him. The scared look on his face amused me.

"But I gave Christine my word that no harm to you would be done by my hand, so you might as well come in," I added in strained courtesy. I may be considered a monster, but at least I can be well mannered when I wish. He entered and looked around.

"I don't trust your word. I don't trust you as far as I could throw you," he said with quiet confidence.

"Which obviously wouldn't be very far at all," I replied, taking note of his scrawny frame. "Seems like the wealthy life has made you soft, boy."

Anger flashed in the young man's eyes and he spun around to face me, opening his mouth to comment.

"I'd watch myself if I were you," I interrupted. "You are in my domain and walking on very thin ice. Now, before I lose my patience, for what purpose did you choose to trespass down here?" By this time I was looming over him and relishing in the slight wide-eye expression I was observing.

"I-I..." he gasped.

"Come, now. Say what you want to say or leave, damnit!" He stood up taller and took a deep breath to regain his composure. He then looked me straight in the eye and replied,

"I came to see how things were going." I was shocked. Did I just hear him right?

"E-excuse me?" I stuttered. It was Raoul's turn to smirk. It seems he finally rendered me as dim as he.

"I had nothing better to do so I decided to wander about and see how things were going. We don't have to be eternal enemies, Erik."

"Ah, yes, let's just hold hands and skip around the lair then, shall we?" I said sarcastically and held out my hand in jest. He was really getting on my nerves.

"No, let's go check on the girls." To my utmost surprise, he grabbed my hand and started skipping for the door. For some odd reason, most likely shock, I let myself be led up the stairs and through the passageways to the dance studio.

"What the hell did I miss!" Madame Giry said when Raoul and I skipped into the room. Her look of surprise and outburst brought me back to my senses and I turned to glare at Raoul.

"UNHAND ME THIS INSTANT, VICOMTE!" I bellowed so loudly that that Meg and Christine came running just in time to see me take a swing at the fop.

"Erik! Stop it!" she came storming over to me. Raoul, in the meantime, checked himself in the mirror and was smoothing his hair. Evidently, something didn't feel quite right.

"My hair! What's wrong with my hair!" he yelped.

"It's greasy and very Barbie-ish," I replied. "In fact, Raoul Hanson comes to mind."

"Issac! He's my favorite! So dreamy..." Meg sighed. Suddenly Christine, Meg and Madame Giry broke into a chorus of 'MmmBOP', and sang and danced until they realized they didn't know anymore of the words.

"Ah, unlike your face which is crinkly and just plain yucky," he said from across the room.

"Yes, well that's not my fault. You could get your hair done. You look like Julia Roberts on a bad hair-day, Raoul," I was done playing nice and if Christine wasn't standing five feet from us, the Vicomte de Chagney would have been dead.

"Plastic surgery can fix a face..." Meg interjected. No one paid attention to her.

"You could get a perm," she tried again, addressing Raoul.

"I did in finishing school," he smiled at her. "It didn't work out so well."

"Micro-derm abrasion might help," Christine entered into the argument.

"You could get a bigger mask," Raoul countered.

"Christine's over the whole mask thing!"

"That is sort of true, Raoul," she relented. "His face holds no horror for me now."

"Because she's not shallow like a certain Vicomte in the room. He's in the commercials for the Pantene no-frizz conditioner. You know how his hair gets."

"At least my hair isn't the glue-on variety that no doubt covers your scalp, Erik," he got right in my face. "TOU-PE!"

"Come on over here and I'll mess up your face for you too, Raoul," I spat back. It was taking all of my self-control to keep from throttling the guy.

"Oh you will, will you? I remember kicking your ass in the cemetery."

"What about the other time that I was the bigger man and let you leave with your life in that very cemetery? You forget the fact that I spared your life as well, twice!"

"Erik, you really shouldn't make fun of dear Raoul's hair," Christine foolishly tried to stem the angry outbursts. "He's being charitable and growing his hair for Locks-for-Love. He's trying to help others, you know?"

"Maybe he shouldn't make fun of my face. What a novel idea!" I growled.

"Thank you for standing up for me, Christine, " he grinned over at her and made a reach to squeeze her hand. She grabbed it out of the way and turned to face him.

"And you, Raoul de Chagney, need to stop making fun of his face. He can't help it if he was born with such a deformed face even his own mother couldn't love and that makes women shriek and little children cry."

"Indeed, " I added and then her statement soaked in, "HEY! I see you're taking his side yet again. And his complete lack of artistic talent/couldn't carry a tune if his Locks-for-Love depended on it, doesn't worry you at all?"

"Erik has a point, Raoul. He's the Angel of Music and can work miracles. Maybe he can help you." The argument continued between Christine and Raoul for a few moments.

"Quite, seeing that singing eludes him," I added.

"You do look like my grandfather on one side, Erik. Have you heard of cover-up and concealer?" Meg was completely behind the argument and off in her own little world as usual. "I'm sure no one would have a problem with a man wearing make-up in you extreme circumstance."

"I have, but I just never wanted to approach Raoul for make-up lessons." At the sound of his name, Raoul turned his attention back to me.

"Just as I have avoided you for singing lessons."

"Oh, well," I heard Christine say to Meg. She sighed and shook her head. "They probably would have just killed each other anyway."

I focused back on the long-haired-wonder in front of me who decide he had taken enough of the verbal abuse and raised his fist to strike. I reached up and grabbed it in mid-flight and parried the blow easily. He regrouped and readied to strike again when Madame Giry swiped her cane and knocked our feet out from under us. We both fell hard to the wooden studio floor and I could immediately feel sharp pains running through my right hip and shoulder. Raoul was curled up in a fetal position and gasping for breath. Christine stood over us, hands on her hips, and glared down disapprovingly.

"You two were acting like complete children. I won't stand for it, especially right now. There is too much work to be done and not nearly enough time to do it. Raoul, I think it would be best if you left for today."

"Me?" the dolt looked confused. "But he started it!" He pointed a chubby digit in my direction.

"I don't care who started it, Raoul. I would send Erik away to, but unfortunately I need him to stick around. Good bye, Raoul." She was in one of her no-nonsense moods that even I did not dare challenge. I prayed that he would be too dumb to realize it and try to plead his case. Regrettably, he had a temporary intelligent moment and took his leave.

Christine then turned her gaze to me and I closed my eyes. I knew I was in for quite a tirade. Instead, she burst out laughing and helped my old bones up. Meg and Madame Giry had melted into giggles too and I was positively perplexed.

"You two..." Christine gasped. "...are impossible!"

"You're laughing at me. Why?"

"I leave you two alone for five minutes and you are already at each other's throats."

"So, you're not mad then?" I asked, relieved.

"Of course I am. I'm so totally pissed at you right now, but we don't have time for that. There is plenty of time for your beating after the competition."

"You promise?" I jested. She responded with a punch in my sore shoulder.

"Enough of this foolishness!" Madame Giry interrupted. "Erik, do you have music yet?"

I handed the CD to her and soon it was blaring over the speakers in the studio.

"I call it 'Entr'acte'. It is a medley of songs from our past. It makes a pretty waltz, I think."

"A waltz, Erik? How are we going to win the competition with a waltz!" Christine inquired, suddenly serious.

"We can impress them with our grace and beauty, and then pull out all the stops for our freestyle routine. I already have an idea for that, but I need to work some details out first."

"Alright, we are doing a waltz. That helps me narrow down the choreography," Madame Giry was already swaying a one-two-three, one-two-three rhythm to the music.

"We're still hitting a wall in the costume department," Meg admitted.

"Do you still have that pink dress you wore the masquerade, Christine? I believe that will work just fine." Christine nodded and excused herself with Meg to look for the dress. Madame Giry was in her own world of dance, doing steps and making notes in her notebook. I clutched the pile of sheet music and went off in search or the orchestra conductor. We needed to sit down and have a little chat.

A.N. "Entr'acte" is taken from the Original Broadway Cast soundtrack of Phantom. Their dance will incorporate the music until the loud 'Phantom Chords' as I like to call them. The argument between Erik, Raoul, and the others is actually constructed from several IM role-playing chats. Hilarity and randomness rules supreme in our little world of pretend!

Kitsune Blade- I 3 my #1 review. You keep me going :-D

pixiestars162- I am thrilled to death! I'm not really into Harry Potter, but know enough I think to get by. I promise to read yours when I get a few mintues.