I do not own any of the characters from The Phantom of the Opera, although I do rather enjoy borrowing them from time to time.
A/N In this chapter Christine is fifteen (sophomore) and Ashlynn (senior) is seventeen. I know the back story is not always the most exciting to read, but we will get moving once the next two chapters are posted. So hang in there, I need to get the relationships set so it will all flow together when the real drama starts.
Hey as I am on both sites, Fan Fic and unending night, let me know if you want to stop getting the story alerts emailed to you by my own hand.
Shameless story plug – My niece KatieKay90 is posting her first story called Unforgiven. If you like the type of stories that I write then you should enjoy her work as she has the family trait of dark intense thinking.
Erik's Vengeance chapter 12 is now in the hands of MJ for editing, so you can expect an update sometime later this evening? Or more than likely tomorrow evening. It's all up to MJ! This update will be moving the story to an "M" rating; it is really hot and steamy!
Author – ToryDBeta – MJMod (How about the pressure I just put you under! I get at least three emails a day wanting to know when EV is being updated, so now it is all on you!)
Christine
Chapter 3
Sixteen months later
Christine rolled her eyes at the incessant yelling of Ashlynn and her fellow cheerleaders as they sought the perfect rhythm of their cheer. Why she ever agreed to Ashlynn's plea that she be the school's mascot was beyond her as she held the heavy costume head of the fierce looking eagle in her lap. She was sweating buckets in the heavily furred costume. If Erik could see me now, he would laugh his butt off, she thought as she watched the varsity football team begin a practice scrimmage game. An amused smile crossed Christine's lips as she watched her sister strike a seductive pose in an attempt to catch her boyfriend Raoul Cheney's eye. For the past six months all Ashlynn has talked about was how hot Raoul was, and how wonderfully wealthy his family was. Christine shook her head at her sister's inane shallowness. However, she did have to admit that Raoul was one of the best receivers that she had ever seen, for he seemed to be able to catch even the worst of the terrible passes that the team's barely adequate quarterback threw his way. Wincing, she shook her head sadly, as the quarterback threw yet another interception.
"Damn!" Raoul cursed as he watched his teammate throw the ball directly at the opposing practice team. I will be lucky if I can even be picked up by a junior college with Seth as the team's quarterback, he thought as he jogged back to the huddle. "Seth, maybe we should try a running play," he suggested.
"No, the coach said I needed to work on my passes," Seth said as he called out a play that denoted a long pass to the right.
As they made their way towards the line of scrimmage, Raoul took his place to the far right. As the count began to sound, he readied himself for his long run. Hearing the signal, he began to run rapidly down the right sideline. Turning he watched in disappointment as the pass was once again overthrown as it hurdled high over his head in the direction of the practicing cheerleaders. Turning he watched in awe as a girl dressed as the school's mascot leaped from her seat on the second row of the bleachers to make a perfect airborne catch just in time to spare the captain of the squad a full on hit in the face with the out of control ball.
Ashlynn began screeching at her almost Marsha Brady moment. "It almost hit me in the nose!" She screamed at all within hearing distance.
Christine rolled her eyes as she prepared to throw the ball back onto the field.
"Great catch!" Raoul yelled from his position several yards away.
"Thanks," Christine yelled back as she received an annoyed look from her still sulking sister. "Here," she yelled as she threw a perfectly arced pass that hit Raoul square in his numbers.
"Holly shit!" Raoul yelled as he felt the sting of her hard throw. "Where did you learn to throw like that?" he questioned with astonishment in his voice.
"I'd like to know the same thing," Coach Roberts said as he walked up to join his top receiver.
Christine shrugged as she took in their praise.
"Get out of that ridiculous costume and get out on the field, I want to see how really good you are," Coach said as he turned to blow his whistle. "Listen up, this little lady seems to have more talent than the lot of you put together, so let's see if you can redeem yourselves!" he yelled at his sorry bunch of players.
Christine shrugged off the hot costume as she adjusted her t-shirt and shorts.
"You're not going to play football!" Ashlynn sneered at her sister in a disapproving tone.
"Sure I am," Christine said as she made a vaulting leap over the four-foot fence that separated the field from the stands.
"Ok little lady, let's see what your arm is made of, I want twenty passes down the center," Coach instructed as he blew his whistle once again. "Cheney, Preen, Jacobs," He yelled to his three receivers. "I want you to run up and down the field at varying lengths, let's see if she is as good as I think," he said as he motioned for his players to begin.
Christine watched as the three large players made a run towards the far length of the field. As one of the players began to turn, Christine began to run to her left as she drew back her arm and threw a perfectly spiraled pass that landed right in the center of the player's chest.
A slow smile spread across Coach Robert's face as he remembered the controversy of two years ago when another girl had won her court battle forcing the district to allow her to play on the boy's varsity squad. Walking over to his assistant coach, he adopted a smug look as he watched the shock on the other man's face. "Well what do you think?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Coach Abbot merely shook his head in bewilderment as he watched Christine throw three more perfectly executed passes at the three equally shocked receivers.
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She is making me a laughingstock at school! This is supposed to be my year to shine!" Ashlynn whined as she pleaded for her father's help.
Charles looked at his eldest daughter with a placating expression. "Ashlynn, Christine is merely playing a sport. I hardly see where that would cause you an embarrassment," Charles said as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"You always take her side!" Ashlynn threw at her father with an affronted look on her beautiful face.
"I am not taking anyone's side. I am merely saying that your sister's actions hold no reflection on you," Charles said with a fatherly tone.
"No reflection on me! How can you say that when everyone is whispering about my freak of a sister! My God, everyone thinks she is a lesbian! And that stupid football team of hers had the audacity to nominate her for homecoming queen against me! I'm the senior; I shouldn't have to compete against my own sister!" Ashlynn said as Christine entered the kitchen with Erik.
Erik watched as the color slowly drained from Christine face as they both overheard Ashlynn's selfish tantrum. He felt as if he wanted to strangle Ashlynn for her cruel words at Christine's expense. Ever since the first moment her encountered the two sisters, he knew that Ashlynn would always seek to take advantage of Christine's kindness.
"That's enough Ashlynn!" Charles' words rang out with a rare anger as he watched the pained look in his youngest daughter's eyes. "Christine come and sit down and have your breakfast," he said as he attempted to break through the tension within the room. "Good morning Erik," he said as he watched his Christine blink her threatening tears away.
Erik felt his heart break at the wounded look on Christine's features. "Charles," Erik responded as he took a seat next to Christine.
Marie entered the room caring Ashlynn's pale pink freshly ironed dress. "Here is your dress dear," Marie said as she handed off the formal gown to a beaming Ashlynn.
"Thank you Marie," Ashlynn said as she held her homecoming dress up for her inspection.
"Christine, do you need me to iron your dress?" Marie asked as she looked at the uneasy Christine.
"I don't have a dress," Christine said as she stared down at her bowl of cheerios.
"God Christine, even I thought you would have the sense to get a dress for tonight," Ashlynn threw at her sister unkindly.
"Perhaps Ashlynn can lend you one of her dresses," Marie suggested helpfully.
"No way am I letting Christine borrow one of my dresses!" Ashlynn cried out emphatically. "She'd probably rip it to shreds as she and her teammates re-enacted a play from the game."
Erik for once wished that he were Ashlynn's father so that he could ground her for her intentional cruelty.
"I'm not going to the dance," Christine said as she glared at her smug sister.
"Well that's a relief," Ashlynn said with a dramatic sigh. "I mean, it's embarrassing enough to have a sister who plays boys' football, but to have her standing up on stage with me when I win homecoming queen would just be too much."
"Don't worry Ashlynn, I will stay away from your precious dance to spare you any embarrassment," Christine said angrily as she pushed herself away from the table to make a hasty exit out the back door.
"Excuse me," Erik said as he shot Ashlynn as look of distain. Crossing the room, he opened the back door to go in search of Christine. After twenty minutes of searching he found her in the stables feeding her favorite horse. "Are you okay?" Erik asked as he walked up to her side.
Christine began to cry softly at Erik's concerned question.
Erik gathered into his arms to offer comfort to his best friend. "You shouldn't pay her any attention Christine," He said softly.
Wrapped in Erik's strong arms, Christine felt as if all of Ashlynn's hurtful comments meant nothing as long as she had Erik as her friend. "I'm sorry, I usually don't let her get to me like that," she said as she wiped at her tears.
"You may not see it Christine, but she is jealous of you," Erik said with a knowing smile.
Shaking her head, Christine scoffed at Erik's conclusion. "Yeah right, Ashlynn jealous of me."
Erik knew that he couldn't convince her of his truth, so he thought of a better way to help out his friend. "What time is school out?" he asked as he linked his arm around her shoulder.
"Two forty-five, why?" Christine asked as they walked back towards the house.
"Charles and I will pick you up," Erik said firmly as he formulated his plan for Christine's makeover.
Frowning Christine knew that Erik was up to something. "And just where are we going?"
Smiling with a gleam in his eye Erik cryptically said, "You'll see, you will most certainly see."
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Christine looked down the field in search of any open player as the defense began to break through her offensive line. "Shit!" she said to herself as she began to run towards the left in an effort to buy herself some time. Only forty seconds left Christine! Her mind cried out as she began to run down the field towards the goal line with a large defensive linesman close on her heels.
Raoul watched with fear in his eyes as Christine began to run towards the end zone. This play had been strictly forbidden by the coaching staff in an effort to spare Christine any undue physical harm by the opposing defense. Slipping through the grasp of his opponent, he began to run up the field towards Christine, motioning to his fellow receivers as he passed.
Twenty…fifteen…ten…five, Christine's mind silently counted the yard markers as she passed. Feeling the heavy oppressive breathing of her opponent on her neck she lunged to the right in an effort to put some much-needed distance between them. Three, on no, her mind cried as a two-hundred fifty pound defensive back showed up out of nowhere to grab a hold of her waist. This is going to hurt, Christine said silently to herself as she vaulted into the air to make a last ditch dive into the end zone, cradling the ball protectively into her tightly wrapped chest.
Raoul reached her two seconds too late as three large opposing players began to pile on top of Christine in an attempt to wrestle the ball away from her tight grasp.
A multitude of whistles blew as the game's officials began to separate the fray.
Christine lay motionless as the extreme weight of the large players bore down unmercifully on her slender form.
One by one the officials pulled off each player to reveal Christine's small body, just a hair's breath over the end zone.
The official held his arms straight into the air, signaling the game-winning touchdown as the last seconds ticked off the clock.
Raoul walked over to her pain racked body and offered her a smile. "Are you just going to lie there all evening or are you going to get up and celebrate your first touchdown?" he said with a mocking look.
"Can I think about it for a minute?" she asked with a wince.
Reaching out his hand he grasped her by the arm and hauled her up off of the ground. "Come on Daae, it's time to celebrate. Besides you have a crown to win," he said with a knowing look.
"Yeah right, I'm more likely to have monkeys fly out of my butt than to win homecoming queen," Christine said as she was bombarded with the grateful playful slaps of her fellow teammates.
"You okay little lady?" Coach Roberts asked as he watched her walk carefully off of the field.
"Yeah, I'm good coach," she said with a slight smile, hoping to avoid his almost certain lecture.
"Okay little lady, but you and I are going to have a long talk after Monday's practice," he said with a promise of punishment.
"Sure coach," Christine said resignedly.
"Hit the showers, good game!" he yelled out to all of his players as they ran off the field.
Ashlynn felt a strong sense of hatred fill her as she watched her "adored" sister walk off with Raoul's arm draped over her shoulders. "Don't think you can steal my boyfriend little sister," she said as she clenched her hands into tight little fists. "You don't know who you are messing with."
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Erik glared at the boy who was taking Christine to the dance. "What did you say your name was?" Erik asked as his eyes sent his most sinister look out from behind his half masked face.
Swallowing hard, John looked fearfully at the man who had let him in. "Uh John, Sir. John Kendal. I'm one of Christine's offensive linemen," he offered in a timid tone.
Charles hid his amusement as Erik took on the role of over protective father.
Raoul smiled in delight as he watched Mr. Dexter grill poor John. "Were you at the game tonight Mr. Dexter?" Raoul asked in an attempt to spare John any of Erik's further torture.
"Yes, I attend all of Christine's games," Erik said coolly, never once removing his intense gaze from the young man who sat so nervously within his living room.
Ashlynn walked gracefully into the room, awash in the palest of pink gowns. "Hi Raoul," she said as she smiled up at her boyfriend of the past four months.
"Hello gorgeous," Raoul said as he stood to offer her the wrist corsage his mother had given him just as he walked out the door twenty minutes earlier.
"Thank you," she said as she placed the delicate corsage on her slim wrist. "We should get going," she said, as she wanted to be out of the house before she got stuck with her little sister.
"I thought that we could all ride together," Raoul suggested as he watched an annoyed look cross his girlfriend's face.
"Raoul, I don't particularly want my little sister trailing after me on my big night," Ashlynn said as she unknowingly revealed part of her real personality.
"You may be forgetting that it was Christine who scored the winning touchdown Ashlynn," he said in an annoyed tone that brought about a surprised look on Ashlynn's selfish features.
Erik smiled with glee as for once Ashlynn was taken down the preverbal peg.
"Christine, Christine, Christine!" she cried out in uncontrolled anger. "Everybody loves Christine; well I'm sick of her! And she is not going with us tonight," Ashlynn said as she stamped her foot in much the way of a two year old.
John rose up to his full six foot two height. "Thanks anyway Raoul, but I think that I'd prefer to have only Christine's company for the evening," he said as he stared daggers at Ashlynn.
Erik felt himself relax a bit at the protective look on John's face as he defended Christine. Maybe this young man wasn't so bad after all, he thought as he regarded the look of irritation he was currently shooting towards Ashlynn.
Charles rose and motioned for Ashlynn to follow him. Once they were in the hall, Charles turned his anger on his oldest. "Ashlynn, you have done your sister a great disservice. She has done nothing but be supportive and loving to you. And how do you repay her? With your unfounded jealousy and cruelty. Tomorrow you and I are going to have a long talk," Charles said through clenched teeth as he regarded his disappointing daughter.
"Fine, I would just love to discuss why you love Christine more than me!" she spat spitefully at her father as she turned on her heel in time to see Christine descending the staircase. "Great," Ashlynn said as self-pitying tears began to fill her eyes. "Now you are even more beautiful than I," she cried as she walked back to retrieve her boyfriend.
Christine turned her confused gaze towards her father in an attempt to understand her sister's strange comment.
"Christine," Charles called out as he beamed at his beautiful daughter. "You take my breath away," he said as tears filled his eyes with fatherly pride.
"Dad," Christine said in an embarrassed tone as she turned to follow Ashlynn.
Erik, John and Raoul each rose from their seats as Christine entered the room mouths agape as they took in her amazing transformation. Gone was the familiar tee shirt and jeans that made up the bulk of Christine's wardrobe. Gone was her signature ponytail, and tattered worn sneakers. For the young woman before them shone with an inner radiance that rivaled the noonday sun's.
Christine felt self-conscious in her new ice blue gown that the personal shopper had insisted she wear. The deep draping v-neckline highlighted the cleavage that she never knew she had until the kind saleswoman had shown her the correct bra to wear. Knowing that she should say something, she carefully walked on her three-inch stiletto heeled silver sandals up to John, her date for the evening. "Hi John, you look nice in your tux," she offered with a smile.
John felt as though his tongue was tied in knots as he stared at the vision of his quarterback. "Uh, thanks. You look good too," he said as he continued to stare at her with amazement in his eyes.
Raoul, a little more at ease around beautiful girls walked up to Christine with a lazy smile. "Daae, you look absolutely beautiful," he said as he patted her on her rear affectionately as he did so many times in the course of their teammate relationship.
Christine smiled up at Raoul with a grateful look. "You clean up pretty good yourself Cheney," she said with an impish grin. Spotting Erik on the other side of the room, she started in his direction wanting to thank her fairy godfather. "Hi," she said as she stared up into his green eyes.
"You are breathtaking," Erik said with a reverence that warmed Christine's heart.
"Thank you, for everything," she said as she leaned up and kissed his un-masked cheek.
Uncomfortable with her so near, Erik backed away as he tried to gather his wits. "It was my pleasure," he said, as he looked towards the floor, unable to think straight with her staring at him with her bright blue eyes.
"I want to take some pictures before you leave," Charles said as he lifted his camera.
"Jeez Dad, could you be more embarrassing?" Ashlynn said as she walked over to Raoul.
"Hey, my girls have never looked more beautiful, is it a crime to want to get it on film? He asked as he motioned for everyone to pose.
Christine scooped up the single white rose bud that Marie had given her for her date. "John, I have this for your lapel," she said as he walked up to her big burly offensive lineman.
As she pinned the bud onto his rented jacket, John couldn't help but take a peek down Christine's dress, revealing to his shocked gaze her surprisingly voluptuous young breasts.
Erik felt the hair on his neck rise as he watched John drool all over Christine. He had to admit that he himself had been somewhat awestruck for a short moment when she entered the room. But that was just because of the difference in her appearance, he assured himself silently. And yet, he thought with a frown marring his brow, how could he have not known that his best friend was such a beautiful girl? How could he have been so blind over the last year and a half? He asked himself as his eyes drifted down to Christine's neckline. He felt a heated flush rush through him as he took in her perfect figure. Where in hell had that come from? He asked himself in alarm.
John handed Christine a white rose embedded wrist corsage not unlike Ashlynn's. "Here, my mom said to give this to you," he said in a strange tone.
"Thank you," Christine said as she slipped it upon her wrist. Linking her arm through his, she drew him over to where her dad already had Raoul and Ashlynn posing.
"Give me some big smiles now," Charles said as he snapped several shots of his girls with their dates.
"I guess you and I are just about the two luckiest guys in the school," Raoul said as he took in the beauty of the two sisters.
"Yeah," John responded as a slight blush graced his cheeks as he stared adoringly at Christine.
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Ashlynn pasted a bright smile on her lips as she watched her sister being crowned homecoming queen. Her heart filled with an overwhelming hatred towards her sister as she was forced to watch Raoul in his role of homecoming king dance with her bitch of a little sister. Not only had Christine stolen her father's love, now she was stealing her boyfriend out from under her as well. One day Christine, I swear to god one day I will steal away something from you that you hold dear. One day I will make you more than pay for all that you have taken from me. One day Christine, one day soon, she promised ominously to herself as she watched her sister steal away what was to be her shining moment.