Chapter 3- A dancer or singer?

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Phantom of the Opera or any of the characters, except Kara who of course is my own character. I do NOT own any of the songs from ALW, this is my first fan fiction writing so please be kind.

Meg and Kara hurried toward the ballet room. Many people stared as they ran past them, pushing them aside if they needed to. Unfortunately they both ran into the most awful person in the whole company, la Carlotta Guidicelli the company's diva.

"Who do you think you are? Running and pushing people aside like your somebody!" screamed the upset diva.

She was tall with lush deep red hair, and a temper to boot. Her dresses were very expensive looking with all the jewels dangling from the corset, and the red skirt, which seemed to dance when she moved. Her face was covered with make up, the colours did not look good on her at all, and the hat…well it was large!

Kara never had any patience when it came to people who were rude, and obnoxious like this woman clearly seemed to be. She pulled Meg's skinny arm to stop her, and walked over to la Carlotta.

"Excuse me, but do you think that you are somebody with all your fancy clothes? I don't even know you and I can tell already that you are a bitch." Kara said sarcastically.

Carlotta stood there in place with the face as if somebody had thrown ice-cold water into her face. Her face quickly turned from stunned, to a face as a hungry lion does when it sees its prey.

"I'll remember your face my dear and I assure you that you will be punished for talking to me like this. Piangi! We are leaving, come!"

With that said and done, she picked up her skirts and left the room with a small pudgy man following her behind. Kara turned to look at Meg; her face was white as a sheet.

"Kara how could you do that? Carlotta will have your head for talking to her like that! No one not even the manager talks to her like that!" scolded Meg.

Guilt crept through Kara's stomach; she didn't even know Carlotta but her attitude made her so mad! Maybe she did something smart and daring, or she did something to harm her situation even more. Whatever she did, she couldn't help but feel a little bit proud inside. She could never talk like that to her parents or even to…him.

"I'm sorry Meg I didn't mean to make you feel offended." Apologized Kara.

"Hey I'm not worry about me, you did something that I know so many people would love to say to her, I'm just worried for your neck!" exclaimed Meg.

They both giggled and continued their way to the ballet room. Once they reached the room, Madame Giry was already starting class with the other ballet rats.

"Meg! Get in line your late and we are working on our pirouettes today! Quickly now 1, 2, 3!" yelled Madame Giry.

Meg left Kara's side and began to dance with all the other dancers. From what Kara could see already, she was very talented that Meg. Her turns were quick, but gracefully done. Madame Giry was using her cane to the tempo of the beat to keep all the girls in time.

"Kara, dear please come here." She called.

Kara quickly ran to her side. Madame Giry made a motion with her hand for her to sit in the chair next to her.

"My dear, do you know how to dance or to sing? I am willing to let you stay here with us in our Opera house if you can do either or and or both." Explained Madame Giry.

"I can dance Madame, but as for singing…I can only sing well enough for me and my own pleasure." She replied.

"Well there are rumours going around that our previous manager may be leaving, if you impress him with your dancing, he may let you stay and have a career, here."

She thought hard about what Madame Giry had just explained to her. She could stay here and possibly work for money by dancing. In her mind she was planning to leave to find a place to start her life over again, to get it right this time.

"Why not start a new life here, I know he will never think of coming here." She thought.

"Can you dance ballet Miss. Kara?"

"Yes I can Madame."

"How long have you been dancing for?"

"I think a good 12 years soon to be 13 when I turn 16 Madame."

"Very good then, I will arrange to have Monsieur Lefevre, to come and see you dance, impress him and he will let you stay. For now I would like you to watch the class and tomorrow I would like you to join them. Do you have any suitable ballet clothes?"

"I don't Madame, I only have what is on my back."

Madame Giry paused, and closed her eyes as if she was concentrating on a very hard decision.

"Perhaps I should has him for help, since he offered it last night in that letter." Thought Madame Giry.

She turned to see Kara looking above in the rafters above.

"Is there something wrong?" questioned Madame Giry.

"No…I mean well…I just thought I saw someone…" Kara wandered off in her thoughts.

Madame Giry looked up as well, but she seemed to see what Kara did not. She gave the rafters a look, a kinda of look as if saying what are you doing here.

"I'm sure it is nothing my dear, please continue to watch the girls, but most of all watch Meg she is a very promising, and Christine Daae, she too is very promising." Madame Giry said.

"Wait a minute, Christine isn't who Meg said who I look like?" pondered Kara.

She watched the dancers dance, but she couldn't pick out who Christine was. Kara knew what she looked like and none of them looked like her, well in her opinion anyway. There was this one dancer that did catch her eye, she looked young and was very graceful when she danced. Although she had no idea who she was, Kara had a thought that she was important.

As Kara watched the dancers, someone was watching her…

The Phantom was in his lair composing the last few pieces he had for an up coming opera. He was planning to call it Hannibal; with all the severed heads he was going to have all the singers sing about, it was perfect. Not to mention the main male characters name was Hannibal. He began to wonder how that girl… Kara was it her name? Whatever it was he was wondering how she was doing and what Madame Giry had planned for her.

"Christine…"he mused.

He too wondered how she was doing, and decided to go see her. She was probably practicing her ballet steps in the ballet room so he decided to go there. He rose from his bench, through on his long black cloak and stepped into the gondola. He rowed himself across the glossy lake until he reached to bank. There he got off with one swift motion, and with a swift of his cloak he disappeared into the tunnels that he had created.

He took a passage that led him to the catwalks above the ballet room. Just as he was about to leave the shadows that hid him from unseeing eyes, he saw a figure looking down into the room. The Phantom made a face of disgust.

"Joseph Buquet." Spat the Phantom under his breath.

Buquet was the sceneshifter of the Opera house. He was often spotted looking into the change rooms of the ballet dancers, trying to get a peek to satisfy his horny mind. His face was somewhat red and his hair looked like a birds nest that got caught in a windstorm, his clothes were tattered and torn yet still wearable. This man disgusted the Phantom to no end.

"Oi, I see fresh meat." Buquet managed to say between drinks.

He was always seen with a bottle of wine or rum in his hand, he often told the dancers that it was a magic drink, a drink that made you feel good. Of course this was his way of saying I wanna have sex with you.

The Phantom looked down to see whom he was talking about, and there she was next to Madame Giry in the corner. It was Kara. She looked like she had more colour in her skin today, although he could tell that she did look quite pale. Then he looked into the direction of the dancers. He could see Meg and he could see her, Christine.

"Alright everyone that is enough for today, everyone go wash up, and for those who have their singing lessons please proceed to room 3. Christine I would like to have a word with you before you leave."

As the ballet rats left the room, only two brunettes and Madame Giry was still in the room.

"Christine, this is Kara she is new here and I would like you to help her learn our steps, the two of you will meet every morning at 5:00 am to practice together."

This was a very early time for any dancer to be up by, but not wanting to ruin the chances she has with the company she decided it would be better to do as her new teacher said.

"That sounds wonderful Madame I look forward to spending time with our new guest." Christine said happily.

Kara got a good look at this Christine. She was indeed very beautiful. She had long curly brown hair that went very close to the mid section of her back. Her body was slender just like hers, and her eyes were a light brown.

"You both are excused, I hope the two of you will become good friends." Madame Giry said.

"I'm sure we will Madame." chirped Kara.

"Alright then the two of you are dismissed."

Both girls gave a curtsy to the ballet mistress and left the room. Madame Giry rose and said out loud.

"So what do you think Buquet? Get an eye full?" she said with a hint of annoyance.

The Phantom watched as Buquet exited the catwalk to another area of the stage, swaying the bottle of rum in his hand mocking her as he left. Just as he too was about to leave she called out again.

"So Monsieur Opera Ghost what do you think?"

"She will need work, Madame." He called back with a silky voice.

"I will give you money to pay for her ballet clothes and shoes, you may receive the money on you vanity at dawn."

And with that he was gone.