Chapter 4- Brain Lock

After nearly a week of intense study, I could proudly say that my knowledge of the 21st century was tolerable. Abbey and Roselle were exceedingly kind, kind in a manner that had never happened to me before.

"Erik, can I talk to you?"

I looked up from the American history book I had nearly finished. "Of course, Mademoiselle."

Roselle sat down on the edge of the kitchen counter. "What do you plan to do?"

I frowned.

"I mean, you'll stay with us I hope, but do you want to try to go back, or would you stay in France?"

I had been thinking about this problem. "I don't know." I said honestly. "I do not wish to return to my time, however. I have nothing there. But I do not want to burden you-"

"Oh no! You aren't, I swear." Roselle assured me. I smiled gratefully, seeing her sincere eyes.

"That means...so much to me."

"So do you plan on coming to America? If so, we'd have to register you for immigration, get your green card, that stuff. And ride a plane."

A shudder went down my spine. "I understand. But I will not live with you unless I can help you. I will work, too, and we will split the cost of living."

Roselle gave me a patient smile of appreciation.

"That's fine; Abbey lives in the city and I live in the country. You can stay with either of us, but I have more room. What kind of jobs would you take?"

"Anything."

"No seriously. You should do something you like to do. Anything's available; you could probably work from home."

"Give me an example of what you think I'd like."

"Geez...known you for a week. Music reviewing, perhaps? Or composing; I dunno how one goes about selling music these days. Something of that sort, maybe?"

I nodded. Compose? I winced at the thought. I had not composed a sheet of music since that night. The night when Christine removed my heart and carried it with her, away with her young man. My inspiration was gone.

"What do you do?"

"I am a book reviewer/ editor. It's a very interesting job. Anyway, so if you're coming to America, I'll go look up immigration stuff on the net."

The net. A source of constant amazement to me. How everything you could ever want to know could be contained to those pages and sites and forums... it was amazing! Just unbelievable.

But when she left, I put away the history book and picked up Phantom of the Opera.

Ok, Phans, Should I keep going? I've never written Leroux Erik before...But is he staying in character, pretty much?

Reviews are very very welcome! No flames please, It's my story.