Author's Note: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera and make no profit off of this story.
"Meg! Where did you go last night? I tried to find you." Christine smiled, obviously thinking that Meg had still been there hiding in the crowd somewhere.
"I slipped out early." Meg told her friend, stretching her leg out to the side to stay limber for the upcoming rehearsal. "Shouldn't you be in costume?"
"I had to talk to you first. I wanted to tell you before I told anyone else." Her cheeks were pink and her eyes sparkling with barely suppressed excitement. She was practically glowing.
"Tell me what? What is it?" Christine's excitement was contagious and Meg could feel the anticipation building inside her.
"Raoul has asked me to marry him!"
Meg squealed and hugged her friend enthusiastically. "Let me see!"
Christine held out her hand with the incredibly large and sparkling diamond. "He said he couldn't bear it if I went on to become famous and left him behind. Isn't he silly?"
"I'm so happy for you Christine."
"I think father would have been happy about the way things turned out too. He always liked Raoul." But Christine's eyes still held pain as she spoke of her father and Meg wondered if her friend would ever heal from her orphaning at such a young age. Her mother having died giving birth to her, Christine had become her father's whole world. As a result, Christine had been closer with her father than most children usually were and his death had devastated her. She had not lost just her father but also her confidant and ally.
A stray thought occurred to Meg. "I wonder…"
"What?"
"Never mind." The blonde dancer waved it off, moving into the battlement frappé step but her strange comment still caught Christine's attention.
"That reminds me. Meg…I'm worried about you. Last night…"
Meg knew what was coming. "I'm sorry I was so sharp. It's just, Christine, you don't believe all that stuff about the Phantom being a demon do you? I don't know what he said to you that night in your dressing room but you must have seen that there was more to him during your time as his student."
Christine's lips thinned into a hard line. "He's done terrible things. Whatever he's told you, he's a liar."
"You hurt him Christine. You wanted to spend your big night with Raoul instead of him when he had worked so hard to get you the opportunity. Of course he tried to hurt you back."
Christine frowned. "You don't-" she started to say but was interrupted.
"There you are Christine. Come, you are wanted." Madame Giry announced and took Christine firmly by the elbow. Whatever Christine was going to say was lost.
Author's Note: I realize this chapter was kind of short. Sorry! And just as an aside, I really don't know what Erik told Christine to make her so convinced he's a terrible person. I think once he figured out that Christine didn't care for him the way he wished, he would have been angry and hurt. He would have wanted to terrify her and make her hate him. He could make up some really exotic stories and naïve little Christine would believe them easily enough. Anyway, once again I'll beg for reviews! I really like hearing what you all have to say.
