Disclaimer- I don't own the phantom…but I do own this story…mostly..and lyric changes I make

Chapter 14

"If you don't mind, Madame, Meg, I'd like to get dressed by myself."

"Are you sure?" She nodded. "Let me escort you to your dressing room then." Meg and Orianna walked arm in arm down to Orianna's dressing room where she found her costume laid out for her. Meg quietly left her and Orianna sat down at her vanity. She felt so drained by everything that was happening. She glanced over at the costume and felt like running away. She didn't want to deal with this anymore. She felt like she was trapped in something she couldn't get out of. She went over to the costume and lifted up a part of it, wanting to rip it in to shreds. She looked over to her right and saw the giant mirror looming over her. She couldn't bear to look at it anymore. She grabbed her costume and quickly left the room. She searched for an empty dressing room and found an unused one at the end of the hall. She lit a few candles and felt relieved to be away from the watchful eye of her angel.

Finally after thoughts of just leaving the opera house, she was sitting at her vanity, staring at her own reflection. She didn't even know who she was anymore. Before she thought it was going to be funny…well it still kind of was but, now this whole thing with her angel and Raoul. She felt so pressured to be so perfect. She felt…she felt…the tears fighting to be let loose. In the comfort of herself, she let them loose and began to cry. She put her face in her hands and just let herself cry. She had to let all her emotions just drain; she had been holding them back ever since she got here.

"Christine…?" She looked up and saw Raoul standing in the doorway. She looked away trying to conceal her moment of weakness.

"What are you doing here?" She was wiping her eyes and looked in the mirror noticing the puffiness and redness of her face. He shut the door and kneeled next to her.

"I came to see you before the performance. I was truly concerned about you the last night Christine." She sniffled and looked down at him.

"Why?"

"Well, we are friends are we not? I wanted to make sure you weren't hurt but now I find you crying."

"It's nothing I'm just being stupid."

"I think it's quite impossible for you." She laughed a little at his attempts to make her smile.

"I'm sorry the other night if I came off as a bit of a..."

"Pompous ass? A fop? Rich, prissy boy who…"

"Right." He said cutting her off. "It's just I had not seen you since we were children and it shocked me to see you all grown up." She smiled slightly. Talk about wrong first impressions. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she thought. He didn't compare to her angel but one can't really compare the two. "And I was hoping that perhaps after this performance we can finally go to supper together in celebration." He stood up and put his hand out to her; she nodded and took his hand.

"I accept."

"Great under one condition though."

"And what is that?"

"No more tears." She nodded and he kissed her forehead. "I shall see you after the performance little lotte." With that said, he was gone.

She sat back down and looked in the mirror. Few people surprise her, yet this Raoul guy just did a 180 on her. He seemed legitimately concerned about her well being and she thought that was quite…sweet of him. Perhaps her experience here wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be. It was nice to have a friend.

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Orianna knew it was going to be a stressful night. Carlotta was being a bigger diva because they had begged and begged to make her sing. Her ego shot through the roof. The performance had just started and she was already sick of it. But, she was an actress and it's not like she actually had to say anything. The opera was running smoothly until they were interrupted.

"Did I not instruct that box five was to be kept empty?" The voice came booming down from the ceiling and was shaking the chandelier. She widened her eyes and Meg grabbed her hand.

"He's here, the Phantom of the Opera."

"Oh my…it's him." Carlotta looked at her.

"Your part is silent little toad." Orianna's jaw dropped and she put her hands on her hips.

"Excuse me?"

"A toad, Madame, perhaps it is you who are the toad!" His voice came booming over again.

Carlotta brought attention back to her again and the opera started again. She began singing when all of a sudden a huge croak like a frog came out. Orianna stifled a laugh and bite her lip. Carlotta cleared her throat and tried to sing again but croaks came out. By now the rest of the theater was full of laughter, Carlotta ran off the stage and Orianna couldn't hold it in any longer. The curtains closed and the managers came out to say something. The next thing she knew she pulled through the curtain.

"…the role of the countess will be played by Miss Daae." She shook her head but the audience clapped for her. She was pushed through the curtain and told to get ready. Madame Giry grabbed Orianna and escorted her to her dressing room.

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She had gotten dressed in silence. Neither her nor Madame Giry spoke a word to each other.

"Finished."

"Thank you Madame." They stood facing each other.

"Do not forget this." She handed her the single red rose with the black ribbon. Orianna nodded. They made their way back to the stage.

She stood in the wings adjusting her dress with one hand and holding the rose in the other when she heard screams. She glanced up and saw Joseph Buquet, dangling from a rope his neck. She screamed and noticed a flash of white from the flies.

"No…. it couldn't be." She didn't even want to think he did it…but he did.

How was it possible? She stood there stunned. Her angel, her mentor, had just murdered a man. A disgusting waste of a life but murder is murder. The pedestal she had put her angel on was now gone.

She felt a hand grab her and turned around.

"Raoul, what are you..?" That's when she noticed the chaos around her. The ballet girls were screaming, running around like chickens with no heads. The audience members didn't know what to do…and all because of her angel.

"Christine, you're not safe here, come with me…" They wouldn't be able to get out not with this mess. She grabbed his hand.

"No…to the roof. We'll be safe there." She remembered the path there. They needed to get out now. She pulled Raoul behind her as they made their way towards the stairs leading up to the roof. They passed a rack with costumes on it and she grabbed a dark blue cloak to keep her warm. Quickly wrapping it around herself she resumed the hold on Raoul's hand.

"Christine, I need an explanation."

"You'll get one I promise."

They began climbing steps up to the roof.

"Why have you brought me here?"

"We can't go back there, he'll kill you…"

She didn't want to discuss it in front of everyone.

"Give me time to explain." They made it up to the roof and she shut the door behind them.

"Christine…"

"He won't find you up here, his eyes won't follow."

"Christine, who?" She broke out of her trance and came closer to him.

"The Phantom of the Opera, that's who…My god, who is this man? Who hunts to kill? I can't escape from him…I never will…"

"Forget this waking nightmare…this phantom is a fable…"

They began to sing together.

"And in the labyrinth where night is blind the Phantom of the Opera is there inside your/my mind…"

"Christine, there is no Phantom of the Opera."

"Raoul, I've been there -
to his world of unending night ...
To a world with the daylight dissolves into darkness ...
darkness ..." Remembering his home, it was all candles, all night, and no escape. She stared in Raoul's eyes while twirling the rose in her hands; she had managed to hold on to it without breaking it.

"Raoul, I've seen him!
Can I ever forget that sight?
Can I ever escape from that face?
So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face
in that darkness ...
darkness ..." And that face…unforgettable and not in a good way. But, then there was always the dark and sensual music of the night. She had to tell Raoul about that. She felt as if she was confessing everything to him, and she didn't know why. She moved away from Raoul remembering how her angel touched her and the looks she received from him. She could almost feel his hands on her now.

"But his voice filled my spirit
with a strange, sweet sound.
In that night there was music in my mind ...
And through music my soul began to soar!
And I heard as I'd never heard before ..."

"It was a dream and nothing more." She turned around and looked at Raoul, but all he could hear was Meg's voice ringing in her ears, "His story is so heartbreaking…" She remembered the look he gave her after she had taken his mask off; the look in his eyes was filled with anguish and misery.

"Yet in his eyes
all the sadness of the world ...
Those pleading eyes,
that both threaten and adore ..."

All these thoughts swirled in her head. Her angel was so complicated. A murder and a teacher, a sensual singer and a man in misery… all these things combined were too much for her. She closed her eyes, suppressing the tears. Suddenly, she heard her name. She looked around paranoid.

"Christine, what's wrong?"

There it was again. She could hear him all around her. She just wanted it all to stop. She couldn't be strong anymore.

"No more talk of darkness…"Raoul began.

((I'm not really happy with this chapter. I think it's too romantic but I'm a hopeless romantic. But, I wanted to portray Raoul as a nice guy who gives off bad first impressions. It's a little fast but I think that's how Raoul and Christine's relationship is…so bear with me. It will get better than this we have drama, Christmas (Do you think the phantom is spending it alone?) and the Masquerade coming up soon! Not all in one chapter but those are the next couple of ones! I wanted to give you an insight into Orianna's feelings and also I'm combing the stage and movie lyrics and scenery and stuff just to let you know. I wanted to clear that up. So yes; I'll update 2morrow promise! Thanks for the reviews keep them coming!)