Stupid, stupid, stupid! What was wrong with me?

At first Erik looked furious. His mood changed quickly to hurt as his ivory half mask clattered to the floor. He placed his hand over his face, where the mask should've been, but it was too late. I'd already seen it.

"Go," he commanded sadly, reaching down to pick up his mask. I took it from him.

"No."

Erik was shocked. "No? I'm letting you go, Paige."

"But I'm not going," I repeated.

He sighed. "Don't make yourself uncomfortable and stay here out of pity," he mumbled.

"Pity? No, I don't pity you. I just want to stay here."

"And I'm telling you not to."

"And I'm not listening."

I reached up to his face, moving his hand. He tensed, but didn't stop me.

Erik's face was exactly like Gerard Butler's in the movie. His eyelid was red and swollen, there was no eyebrow visible, and his cheek and half of his forehead were scarred and swollen as well.

"Do you still think I'm not a monster?" he asked with a sneer, not looking at me.

"Of course," I said simply. "How could you be?"

Erik's jaw dropped. "Are you blind? Can you not see my face?"

"I can see it perfectly fine," I assured him calmly. "Just because your face is like this, doesn't mean you're a monster."

"You're probably the only one on this earth that thinks so."

But I wasn't listening. I reached my hand to his face tentatively, caressing his right cheek. He put his hand on mine.

"You're one strange girl, Paige," he said. I laughed.

"You're probably not the only one on this earth that thinks so," I told him. Erik laughed as well.

Standing there, in front of Erik, a hand on his scarred cheek, his hand on top of mine, laughing at the possibility of him being a feared monster, I realized that my wish had come true. Erik was happy!

One problem- I didn't want to leave.

Now that my 'purpose' was fulfilled, would I be sent back to my world?

I realized that the answer was no. Just because he was happy that I accepted him, didn't mean that Christine would be gone from his mind. Christine weighed heavily upon his heart, and I had to take her away from it.

"What's wrong?" he asked, seeing my worried look.

"Nothing," I lied. I smiled up at him, caressing his cheek again.

"Your face is beautiful," I murmured.

He smiled back.

~0~0~0~0~0~

That day, while I listened to Erik's beautiful music, I was going through some internal conflict.

Yes, I hadn't rejected him. Yes, I had told him he wasn't ugly, that his face was beautiful. Yes, I was probably the only person on the face of the earth that thought so.

Yes, he was happy.

But I wasn't.

Realizing that he still loved Christine made me sad. Why?

Because, taking off his mask and telling him that he was beautiful, made me realize something. Something big, something important.

I loved him.

NO!

No, no, no! What was I thinking! How could I love him? Time to get back in your own world, Paige!

But I couldn't. Not only would I be miserable, but so would Erik. It was a Twilight situation; Erik was my own personal Edward, pre-Bella-knew-Edward-was-a-vampire Edward. Pre-relationship Edward, I guess.

What would Madeline think? She'd be happy, and shout to the world that I loved Erik, and then tell Erik, too. Cadence wouldn't be listening to me; she'd be staring at Erik, googly eyes included. Marisa would think I was insane.

Marisa probably wasn't the only one who thought that.