Disclaimer- I don't own the phantom...But I do like the Masquerade song…

Chapter 17

The rest of the time spent at Raoul's house was quiet and peaceful. She went back to the opera house several times but never had the courage to speak with or see her angel; she was too frightened what he would say or do. She was scared to look into his eyes and see the loneliness and pain that she had inflicted on him. She pushed it from her mind every chance she got but something would remind her of him and it would be placed back in her thoughts.

She had spent many days with Meg and the other ballerinas trying to find the perfect Masquerade gown. She had tried on at least a hundred dresses but none seemed to fit her just right. Meg had found a beautiful dress and mask that made her look like a swan. Orianna knew from looking at her in the dress she would need to find a stunning one as well. Finally, on their last day of shopping, Orianna found the perfect dress. It fit her, it was loose; the only downside, it was pink and purple and extremely girly. Even though Orianna was in a time period with all dresses, it didn't mean she had to like it. But, the dress made her feel like the sugar plum fairy from the Nutcracker.

The night before the Masquerade, most of the ballerinas had come back from their vacations. Orianna decided to move back into the dormitories with the rest of the ballerinas; she couldn't bear to be watched anymore. She her things back to the opera house, making her bed next to Meg's. But, that night she stayed at Raoul's house.

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Raoul's mother and her servant helped Orianna get ready for the masquerade; this would be her first one. They had pulled her curly brown hair back from her face and tied it up in the back with a silver ribbon. The dress fell down to her knees and it was puffed out. The dress was gorgeous. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she wrapped her arms around herself. The dress was an ethereally white color with silver trimmings. It was low cute and sparkled in the light when she moved. The color made her look like an angel with her pale white skin and dark brown curls and big blue eyes. She had only recently started wearing dresses since she came here; and she actually liked it. She put the finishing touches by adding some white make up around her eyes and placed a shimmering white mask on her face.

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Raoul and Orianna showed up a little late to the Masquerade. She could hear the music playing loudly. She grabbed Raoul's hand, pulling him up the steps and bursting into the opera house.

"Masquerade! Paper faces on parade ...
Masquerade! Hide your face, so the world will never find you!
Masquerade! Every face a different shade ...
Masquerade! Look around - there's another mask behind you!"

She couldn't help but smile at the sight before her. Everyone was dancing and singing and just thoroughly enjoying themselves; and just for this moment, every event she had been dwelling on escaped her. She immersed herself into the music; it was wonderful. Raoul kept trying to kiss her but she pushed him away, he didn't like that too much but she just smiled and shrugged. She pulled him onto the dance floor and he spun her around. Suddenly, the music took a darker turn and as Raoul twirled her around she swore she saw the phantom. She saw him in every mask and she started getting dizzy. Finally, the music took a sharper and more upbeat tone. Raoul whirled her off to the side as the dancers ran up to the steps and began a very beautifully choreographed dance. She was so caught up in everything that was going on; the music, the dancing, the light atmosphere, it was singularly perfect. She knew it wouldn't last. Suddenly, the candles flickered and the dancers were all startled as were all the guests at the top of the stairs. She felt herself being pulled and finally realized what was happening. She shook her head to break her trance and saw that Raoul had pulled her into the middle of a crowd.

"What's going on?" Raoul motioned his head and that's when she saw him. Dressed in blood red velvet and a skull mask it was obvious who it was. It was so strange, she felt a twinge of something in her heart and suddenly feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her.

"Stay here, Christine, I'll be back." He quickly left her.

"Raoul…Raoul, wait!" But, he kept walking.

She looked up at her phantom and her stomach began knotting up. She kept thinking of his words on the rooftop and bit her lip; he began to talk.

"Why so silent good monsieurs? Did you think that I had left you for good?

Have you missed me good monsieurs? I have written you an opera.

Here I bring the finished score! Don Juan Triumphant!"

He threw down what appeared to be the sheet music for it. So that's what he had been spending all his Christmas break doing, he had been composing a new opera. Orianna wondered if he got her gift.

"Fondest greetings to you all. A few instructions just before rehearsal starts.

Carlotta must be taught to act, not her normal trick of strutting round the stage."

Carlotta's mouth dropped and put her hand to her chest as if she had received the biggest insult ever. She moved back into the crowd.

"Our Don Juan must lose some weight; it's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age…"

Piangi crossed his arms and moved into the crowd near Carlotta, whose face had gone from indignance to anger.

"And my manager's must learn that their place is in an office!

Not the arts…"

The managers also moved back into the crowd. During this time, the Phantom had made his way down the stairs. He stopped and looked as if he was looking around for someone, his eyes searching the crowd.

"As for our star, Miss Christine Daae…"

Orianna felt a lump forming in the back of her throat. She looked around for Raoul, hoping he'd come and save her but no such luck.

"No doubt she'll do her best; it's true her voice is good she knows though

Should she wish to excel, she has much still to learn

If pride will let her return to me, her teacher…her teacher…"

He stopped and glanced around again. Orianna took her mask off and decided to face him. She made her way through the crowd and stopped just in front of him. They hadn't seen each other in a long time and Orianna had forgotten the way he made her feel. His eyes were surrounded by black make-up making them stand out more than usual. Even though he was putting on a façade for all these people, she could see he was incredibly upset. He held out his hand to her and without even thinking twice she put her hand in his, talking a step up onto the stairs. Suddenly, she felt his mood changed as he looked from her face to something else. She looked down to see what it was when he released her hand and grabbed at something. It was the engagement ring Raoul had given her. He pulled the necklace off her neck.

"Your chains are still mine!...You belong to me!" He said shaking the ring in her face. He looked incredibly hurt and everything they had a few seconds ago was broken. He ran up the stairs and disappeared. Orianna felt the tears forming and turned towards the crowd, who were all rapidly leaving. She saw Raoul coming up to follow the Phantom but Madame Giry intercepted him and pulled him out of the room.

((I'm sry it's been forever since I've updated but I've had a million things to do! I've had school and college stuff and play stuff and choir stuff to do lol! I've been really busy! My next chapter will be up sooner! I promise! I've already started writing it! I also had an extreme case of writer's block so I'm sry if this chapter sucks! Well review nicely please!))