Chapter V
"There's No Such Thing as a Phantom"
The dress rehearsal went quickly over a seven hour stretch. Madison never looked at me once during the whole rehearsal, and poor Milly struggled with whom to talk to.
After we were dismissed, I immediately headed upstairs to quickly change. I wanted to avoid having to talk to anyone. But before I knew it, Milly was right beside me, trying to keep up with my strides. "I just thought I should tell you that I believe you, Rose," Milly said in the most sincere tone. I stopped in my tracks and looked at her.
"Thank you, Milly." I couldn't really find any other words to say to her. I was so relieved that someone believed me. I thought for sure that I would be alone through this whole ordeal. Milly nodded, then turned and headed back to the stage.
Before I could even start walking again, Christopher pranced up the stairs and called, "Rose...wait!" I sighed and stood there, wondering what he could possibly want. I assumed he'd bring up a rumor...again. "I noticed how distant you and Madison were today. It was really odd to watch you two shun each other," Christopher spoke quietly, giving me a look of concern and almost playfullness. He liked to tease me and Madison a lot. "I tried talking to Madison, but she rubbed me off. She wouldn't say anything. So...what's going on with you two?"
I hated to be the one who told what happened because people get the wrong idea of you when you give out private information. But Christopher was our friend, and I didn't think it'd hurt anyone for him to know a little bit about our arguement. "Madison accused me of lying to her," I said simply. I didn't want to go into too much detail. Too much detail can lead you to too many problems.
"Lying to her? She's got to be mad. You two never lie to each other," Christopher honestly looked shocked, and any look of teasing was gone from his face. "What was it about?" I knew he was going to ask that.
I took a deep breath. "She think I lied to her about a man she saw in our room..."
"What!" I quickly put a hand over Christopher's mouth.
"Keep it down!" I warned.
"Right...right...what man?"
I hesitated for a moment. "Madison saw a man in our room, and I told her that it was the Phantom, but she doesn't believe me...but I know it was the Phantom, and I wasn't lying!"
Christopher thought deeply for a moment. "The Phantom?" he questioned. I nodded. "You saw the Phantom?" I nodded violently again. "How do you know it was the Phantom?" he asked.
"Because..." I tried to explain, "he spoke to me, and I saw him." I didn't necessarily lie, but I knew that wasn't really how it happened, but I didn't want to tell him that the Phantom took me down to his labyrinth. That would create chaos if anyone found that out.
Christopher looked confused. "What'd he say to you?"
Was he suspicous of me, too? "I...I don't really remember...I sort of passed out..."
"Oh...that's right...that's why all the girls were losing their heads," Christopher began trying to put all the pieces together. I was fearful that Christopher would ask me more hard questions that would require me to lie, but he didn't. "Okay, then. I was just trying to clear things up. I was pretty muddled watching you and Madison. Well, g'night, Rose." With that, Christopher turned and headed back down to the stage where everyone else was.
I breathed a sigh of relief and continued marching up the stairs to the dormitory. Once I reached the safe quarters of the room, I threw off my chorus clothes and tossed on a nightgown. I layed down on my bed with my face buried in my pillow, wondering just what to do now. Any moment, all the chorus girls would be streaming into the dormitory to change and then either go to sleep or sneak out with a man. I didn't want to be awake when Madison and Milly came in, so I tried my best to sleep, but I couldn't find myself the least bit tired. Why can't you sing me to sleep, Angel? I thought to myself, frustrated. I decided to just pretend to be asleep.
Within minutes, everyone was piling in the door, chatting away with gossip or giggling about what one of the men said to them. I could hear Madison and Milly's footsteps cross the room and come over to our side of the room. "Is she sleeping?" Milly's voice asked.
"I suppose," came Madison's cold reply. I bit my pillow to keep from crying or showing any sign that I was awake.
"You know, I don't think she was lying..." Milly's weak voice tried to convince Madison.
"There is no such thing as a Phantom," Madison snapped. "The man was probably her lover or someone...there has only been one Phantom, and there won't ever be another one. That's impossible." I could feel a hate burn inside of me.
No Phantom? I thought to myself, dying to scream it as Madison. Why don't you tell me who that man was? I bet you couldn't. You don't want to know about the Phantom. He scares you. Just like everyone else. You're just purposly being blind to the truth. But that's okay...you'll see him...he said so himself...and he knows about you, too. He knows you don't believe in him..and you might become his first victim...I couldn't help thinking these horrible things. What was I saying? Madison is my friend! The more I thought about her, though, the more angry and hurt I became.