"Is my father okay?" Christine said whimpering. She sniffed wiping away her tears.

"Yes he is, he is in heaven with the other angels creating beautiful music for all to hear."

Christine smiled weakly, she wished he could be here with her.

"Can you sing child?" the angel asked.

Christine nodded, "not like the other angels," she bit her lip.

"I will teach you my child," the voice said gently. "Do you know how to read music?"

"A little."

"Do you know how to read?"

Christine shook her head, "no," the tears began to well up again. She hung her head in shame.

"Child, have no fear."

"I am not as smart as the other girls." Christine said.

"We shall begin tomorrow."

"What?"

"Tomorrow, I will find the materials in heaven and we will begin our lessons."

Christine fell into a routine. She would spend the days practicing ballet and the nights with her angel. She slowly was able to read and recognize words. Her angel cautioned her to keep her lessons to herself and not to tell anyone she was learning to read. Christine did, but she shared a few words with Meg. Sometimes the angel would ask her questions about her life at the opera. Christine told the angel to tell her father not to worry. She was becoming friends with Meg and Meg's Mother, Madame Giry was warming up to her as well. The angel voiced his approval.

One evening a few months after she had arrived, Madame Giry brought her a new dress. Christine had mentioned to her angel that her old dress was getting too short and tight and the angel said he would find a way to get her a new one. The first day Christine put it on the other girls fawned over it. The older girls demanded where she got.

"She hasn't been in the foyer de la danse, so it isn't from a patron..." one of the other girls said.

"Oui... you're right, but I know a gentleman or two who would enjoy her youth," another smiled viciously.

They laughed as Christine shied away from them and tried to hide her new dress. Later Christine asked Meg about the foyer de la danse.

Meg shrugged, "it is where the older dancers warm up. It's very fancy, but Maman doesn't let me go in very often. She makes me warm up elsewhere."

Christine nodded and decided to ask the angel tonight. There was a performance at the opera tonight and because Meg had trained longer she was chosen to be in the ballet that night. Christine was going to be at a lesson with her angel. She watched part of the performance from backstage and when it was time she headed down to the chapel. She wanted to pray before her lesson, but when she got there there was a boy running around.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Raoul de Chagny!" he said.

"What are you doing here? You are not part of the Opera company," Christine said confused.

"My parents are the patrons of the Opera, I can go anywhere I want to here."

Christine sighed.

"And who are you?"

"I'm a part of the ballet academy," Christine said.

"Come! We should go to foyer!"

"I... uh..."

"Come!" he beckoned.

Christine dutifully followed. Raoul navigated the opera well and led Christine to the most elegant room she had ever seen. Older members of the ballet corps were stretching in the room. Men were smoking and drinking as they talked among themselves. Some of them were talking with the ballet dancers and having them dance and turn for them. Christine froze she had a feeling she wasn't supposed to be here.

Raoul ran ahead, "Philippe!"

Christine stayed back and stayed close to the wall. She watched Raoul talk to an young man, who quickly grabbed him by the ear and walked him out. Christine tried to look for the way out when an older man approached her.

"Where is your tutu ma petite rat?" he asked.

He had a drink in one hand and Christine tried to dance around him. He blocked her way until she quickly ran around him, she could hear the laughs behind her as she ran back to the chapel. She was in tears by the time she reached the chapel.

"You're late. Do you not value our lessons?"

"I'm sorry monsieur, there was a boy here and he made me go to the foyer de la danse. A man blocked my way back, he called me a rat." Christine sat on the floor crying.

"Do not go back there, I forbid it."

"But what is so bad about it? Why did the girls think a patron had given me this dress?" Christine asked.

"Enough, no more questions. You are forbidden from returning there."

"Okay."