"Why do you call it an Angel?" Meg asked.

Christine opened the heavy door leading into the house.

"Because. He reminds me of a story papa tells me." Christine answered. She sniffed at Meg as she passed her and trotted into the dank, dark house.

"Oh! The story about the music angel who sings in dreams and stuff?!" Raoul gushed.

Carly, right behind him, scoffed. "There's no such thing as Angels. Christine's playing a joke on us." She said with all the superiority of a little girl with mud streaking her face.
Raoul gave her a teasing tug of the ponytail and was swiftly swatted.

"Heeey!" Carly whined, "Don't pull my hair!"

"But even if there was an angel living here, wouldn't he have something better to do then sing in peoples sleep?" Ubaldo puffed. He hunched over and struggled to catch his breath. He and Jammes had tried to race each other, only realizing halfway through that they'd have to stop and wait for Christine and the others to catch up before continuing.

"Or wouldn't he have a nicer house? It's cold in here." Jammes commented, wrinkling her nose.

Christine ignored all of them. What did they know anyway?

"Next time you guys find an Angel, you can name him." Christine grumbled. She propped open the door with the same rock she used last time.

The children spread out to explore.

Christine wandered over to the dusty mirror. Something about it drew her to it's dirty glass surface every time she came. She gazed into the depths, looking for something…

"Christine!"

Christine snapped out of her daze.

She turned away from the mirror and looked back towards her friends.

"It's cold in here! And it smells funny! Is your Angel coming out or not!" Meg winged.

"He'll be here!" Christine insisted. Her brows furrowed. He usually would have come out by now.

"Angel?" Christine called.

Ubaldo groaned and kicked some dirt around.

"Angel?" Christine tried again.

She ignored Meg and Jammes exchanging glances.

"Angel?" Her voice cracked.

"Christine, your joke is over. There's no Angel here." Carlotta scowled. She started to march towards the door, with the rest of the gang following her.

Christine blinked back tears. Her Angel didn't come. He wasn't real.

Raoul squeezed her hand. "I believe you Lotte." He said.

"Christine gave a watery smile at her special nickname.

Raoul started towards the door.

Christine began to follow Raoul when she heard him.

The heavenly voice sang her name.
"

Christine." the voiced caressed her.

All the children froze at the sound of the enchanting voice.

"Chriiistiiine…"

Christine had hoped to God she would never return to Perros. But here she was, in front of Palais Garnier High, clutching her bag to her chest as she watched Mama Valerius's car drive off. They avoided the woods, but Christine's eye wandered over towards them anyway.

It was almost as if his silky voice still spoke to her, in her ear, whispering for her to sing again.

Christine shivered. She long since accepted that what happened to her was a dream. The Angel of Music was all in her head and couldn't get to her.

Knowing didn't reassure her any. Christine tightened her grip on her backpack.

It was all in her head. It had all been a game.

"There is no such thing as angels," Christine murmured to herself. She steeled her nerves and marched into the high school.

Christine tried not to shake when she entered the building. It wasn't so bad. It was a similar her old high school. Same bland walls, same preppy posters, same pretty cheerleaders chatting.

Christine's eye sought her childhood friends without her volition. She knew it had been forever but a part of her longed for the familiar. She scanned the halls for any sign of Meg or Raoul. Christine thought she saw Carly for a second but decided that she would never scowl like that.

However, she saw Jammes.

Finally.

It was enormously comforting to see a familiar face.

She wondered if Jammes knew she was in town. Christine headed over, but her path was cut off by a guy in a basketball jersey.

"Hey, James! What's up man, how was your summer?" the guy buzzed. He pulled Jammes- no, it's James now- into a one-armed hug. The two chatted for a little before wandering off, leaving Christine frozen behind them.

Oh.
She knew her friends would have changed but she never would have imagined how much. Maybe that crabby-looking girl was Carly.

Christine had never felt so alone. Well. Not in a very, very long time.

Raoul De Changy's heart thudded a mile a minute.

He could have sworn he had seen a ghost.

Granted a ghost who grew up to be exquisite, but a ghost nonetheless.

"You ok dude?" Neil asked.

Raoul snapped back into the conversation.

"I-I'm sorry, can we pick this up later? I think I saw an old friend."

Neil shrugged.

Before he could take the chance to say anything else, Raoul dashed off.

He looked everywhere with no sign of her.

Raoul was about to give up when he caught sight of her saying goodbye to Meg.

Waiting for the newly appointed dance captain to go off to class, the student body president fidgeted to calm his nerves.

Raoul's stomach twinged in discomfort at being reminded he still hasn't congratulated Meg for her accomplishment but shook it off.

It's not as if She said anything when he made student body president.

Christine just closed her locker when Raoul had managed to fish his courage out of his stomach.

"Christine?"

Christine's shoulders hunched.

She could recognize that voice anywhere.

First Meg, now Raoul.

Christine wasn't sure if she had the energy to talk to another old friend who wants nothing to do with her.

She turned around.

Oh, wow he had gotten tall.

Raoul had grown up to be very handsome and the beaming smile he wore only stressed that.

Christine shifted.

What was she even supposed to say to him?

"Well, if it isn't Little Lotte herself! God, it's so great to see you! How long have you been in town? How's your dad?"

Christine's heart stopped at the question.

No.

Christine wasn't ready to do this. She needed a way out. There was no way she could stand here and pretend like everything was fine with Raoul.
"I'm sorry, do we know each other?" Christine blurted.

Well. That solved that problem.

Raoul's smile faltered.

He could feel the disappointment curl around his heart and give it a squeeze.

"Christine, it's me. Raoul De Chagny? I dove into Lake Melody and saved your red scarf?" Raoul faltered.

Cristine shook her head, her curls tumbling over her shoulder.

Raoul was sure it was her.

No one had hair like Christine Daae.

He supposed it made sense, that after all, she had been through, that she'd forget as much of her childhood as she could.

It still stung.

Determination replaced the disappointment.

"We used to play together when we were little. It's great seeing you again. Do you need help finding your classes?" Raoul asks, flashing his most charming smile.

So what if she doesn't remember him?

He remembers her.

Christine offered a shy smile. "That would be great. I have English with ?"

Raoul's smile widened. "Oh! That's right this way. Could I see your schedule? I wonder if we have any of the same classes…"

James wishes he had stayed at home.

When he first caught sight of Christine Daae he froze.

It was like he was seven years old again and his mother was telling him that Christine had disappeared…

James could feel the cold, rotten guilt drop in his stomach. He wants to kneel over from the pressure.

He never stopped wondering what would have happened if even one of them would have followed her. Would she had gone missing? Would the gang still be on speaking terms? Would he had grown up terrified of disappearing into the woods too?

James sighed.

The saddest part of it all is that James would never know.

Christine was taken.

Christine had left.

His friends stopped talking to him.

And now she's back.

He knows someone should have gone with Christine Daae that night.

Now what James wants to know is if there is anything he should do now to make it right.

First period was nice enough.

Christine liked second period better.

She had always liked history.

Christine was busy looking at her school map when she accidentally bumped into someone.

"Watch it freak!" a feminine voice snapped.

Christine looked up to apologize when her eyes widened.

"Carly?" Christine said with surprise.

Carly's brows flew up to her hairline.

Her mouth screwed and her shoulders tensed.

The girls eyed each other for longer than Christine cared to admit before Carly scoffed.

"It's Carlotta, freak." The taller girl hissed.

Christine watched as Carly- no, Carlotta- strutted away.

Something cold curled in Christine's chest.

She stuffed it in the back of her mind.

Christine had enough things to worry about and she knew when she was being dismissed.

She took her map back out and stalked off to find her class...

Piangi had watched the exchange with fascination.

He always stared at Carlotta. Why wouldn't he? She was beyond beautiful. Piangi couldn't believe that Carly had grown up to be so stunning.

His gaze fixated on his beautiful childhood friend when another one snuck into his field of vision.

Piangi had never expected to see Christine Daaé again.

Piangi heard the bell and rushed off to his class.

Once seated, he let his mind wander to Christine.

He fingered his leviathan cross necklace.

Starting in about sixth grade, Piangi had become obsessed with the mystical.

He had never understood what had happened in those woods when he was little. It was about when he turned eleven that he realized what happened wasn't 'normal'. The thing they played in the woods with was no angel. He read and researched and filled notebooks with his thoughts on what it could be.

He's gone through nightmares, crying in frustration, and being alone.

It seemed like it was all for nothing.

Until Christine came back into town.

Now Piangi's late nights scouring the web for things that might be the Angel have paid off.

Piangi's eyes tightened. He has to ask Christine what happened when she got lost in the woods.

The school day was over the next time Christine saw Meg.

She tensed. This morning hadn't gone bad per say but...it was very awkward. It was clear to Christine that Meg was uncomfortable talking to her.

Christine didn't want any trouble, not for her friends.

She tried to hurry past her, but stopped when Meg called "Christine!"

Christine paused. Her mind whirring, she tried to think of an excuse to leave, but before she could, Meg had already jogged over.

"Hey." Meg greeted with an awkward grin.

Christine answered with a nervous smile of her own. "Hi."

Meg rubbed the back of her neck while the girls looked at the floor.

"I didn't mean-" Meg started.

"-to surprise you or anything" Christine overlapped.

Both girls paused and gave a laugh.

"God, sorry. I'm shit at talking to people." Meg said, her smile becoming more genuine.

"That's ok." Christine answered, not sure what else to respond with.

Meg chewed on her lip.

Christine searched for a topic to bring up. God, what was Meg even into these days? Did she still want to be a ballerina when she grew up? Is her favorite color still gold?

Before Christine had found the words to start a conversation, Meg had seemed to find her voice.

"Look, Christine, I'm sorry if I was...I don't know, weird? This morning? You took me a little off guard and I don't want you to think I'm not glad to see you, because I am, and-" Meg rambled.

"I'm glad to see you too Meg." Christine cut her off.

Meg gave another smile.

The silence that lapsed was much more comfortable.

Meg had opened her mouth again, but before she could say anything, she was cut off by a voice calling Christine's name.

She whipped her head around and broke into a wide grin when she saw who it was.

"Raoul!" Christine exclaimed.

Raoul loped over with a grin.

"Oh! Hey Megs! Long time no see. And Christine, just the girl I was looking for!" Raoul declared.

Meg gave a weak smile while Christine beamed.

"I was wondering what a guy like me had to do to get a girl like you to go with him to tomorrow's basketball game?" Raoul asked.

Christine lit up.

She didn't expect Raoul to seriously want to hang out with her. He was friendly this morning, but from what Christine could glean he was like that with a lot of people.

"I'd love to!" Christine accepted. She turned to Meg. "Would you want to come?"

Meg froze and Christine felt awkward.

Stupid. Why did she have to put her on the spot like that?

"If you already have plans-" Christine backtracked.

"No!" Meg blurted "It's just...I'm on the cheer squad. I'll be on duty."

Christine whilted. While she understood, she had hoped to reconnect with Meg at the game.

"But," Meg hastily added "I'll definitely see you there. Maybe the three of us could all hang out?"

"Yeah!" Raoul chimed in. He turned to Meg. "It's been ages since we've hung out. I'd love to get to catch up with you guys."

"Do you mind if I tag along?"

Christine squinted at the young man.

It took her a minute to place him.

"Ubaldo!" Christine squealed. She raced forward as if to hug him, before remembering herself. "It's so good to see you!"

Ubaldo grinned. "It's good to see you too! I never thought I'd see you again Chrissy!"

Christine's smile faltered. "Yeah well, you know…" Christine trailed off. There was a tense silence before Christine said: "Are you going to the game too?"

Ubaldo lit up. "Yeah, I was planning on it! I'd love the chance to catch up with you guys!"

Christine nodded. "That would be great!" She remembered Meg and Raoul and turned to them. "Unless you guys mind…"

Raoul and Meg exchanged a glance that Christine couldn't decipher.

"No, it's cool. The more the merrier." Raoul said with what Christine thought was false cheer.

"Yeah. Uh, I'll meet up with you guys then!" Meg said.

Christine glanced at the clock an winced. "Definitely. Sorry, but I gotta get going. I'll see you guys there!"

After confirming the plans Christine left the building.

What a day.