"What do you mean why did I save you?" Erik said.
"When I first met you, you said you hated me. Why such the act of faith?"
Erik sighed. "I couldn't let that idiot hurt you. You've become almost like a daughter to me."
"Really!?" I squeaked.
"It's not right to hurt a child," Erik told me. "Anyway, you go inside and go to sleep. You look dead on your feet."
I nodded, and ran off. I slipped into the opera house, ran quickly but as quietly as a ghost down the hallways into my dorm, flopped onto my bed, and fell asleep without even bothering to change.
--
It was late in the morning when I got up. As I fixed my hair I remembered to stay clear of Raoul. I ran down the hall, careful not to be seen by anyone, and made my way to the trap door behind the stage. I knocked on it.
Erik opened it. "There you are," he said. "Come in, I've got some important news to tell you."
I climbed down into the bedroom, Erik lead me into his room, took a little box and opened it. In there was a ring.
"Uh... look... Erik," I said. "We've got a HUGE age diffrence, and-"
"Not you, you idiot!" Erik said, annoyed. "It's for Christine!"
"Oh yeah!" I remebered. "Tonight, at the opera?"
"I'll seal my fate tonight..." Erik nodded.
"But they had hardly any time to reherse!" I said.
"Chrisitne's very talented... she doesn't need much time," Erik said.
"What about Piangi and Carlotta and everyone else?"
"Who cares about them?"
"Right..." Suddenly, I remembered something."She's going to try to pull your mask off again!"
"Again...?" Erik said.
"Women's curiosity," I said, trying to sound positive.
"Stop the wise cracks, your full of them this morning," Erik snapped. "This is serious."
"Just talk to her," I said.
"What will talking do?" Erik asked.
"Believe me, Erik... Girls like it when you talk with them. Just ask her why she's so eager to see behind your mask."
"I-I can't!" Erik stammered.
"Why?"
"I-I'm... t-to shy..."
"Excuses, excuses," I mumbled. "Would you like me to talk to her?"
Erik looked at me. "You would do that?"
"Think of it as returning a favor."
"What do you need to return to me?"
"A favor... for saving me... from Raoul."
"Well, okay," Erik said. "Chrisitne's in her dressing room. Talk to her and come back here. Comprendez vous?"
"Oui, je comprend," I said, not knowing why we were speaking in French all of a sudden.
I ran off to Chrisitne's dressing room. I knocked on her door, quietly.
"Come in," she called.
I entered, timidly. She was sitting on her bed with a book opened o her lap.
"Oh, hello," she said.
"Hi..." I said. "um... Chrsitine... I need to talk to you about Erik."
"What about Erik?" she asked.
"Well... see..." I didn't how to start. "Um...Erik's got a suprise for you tonight and um... because of it... your going to try to take off his mask again. Please, Chrisitne, don't do it."
Christine sighed and put her book down. "Well... I can't reallly have a say on that because I don't know what I'll feel when that time comes," she said. "But why would I pull off his mask?"
"Because the suprise will make you," I repeated.
"Whats exactly is the suprise?" she asked.
"It's a... pair of diamond earing," I lied.
"Oh wow!" Christine smiled.
"But don't tell him I told you." I said.
"But why would diamond earings make me want to take off his mask?" Christine asked me.
"Well," I said, thinking quickly. "Those earings are really expensive, and Erik got them for you out of pure love. You'd be confused that he loves you so much, but he hasn't even shown you his full face yet, and you'll take off his mask."
"Well, if he loves me that much then why not show me his face without fear?"
"Because he loves you too much to do that," I said. "Look, Chrisitne, the reason why Erik doesn't want to face you unmasked is because he's deformed. He wants you to think of him as a handsome man so that you can love him."
"But I love him for his own sake... not because of what he looks like," Chrsitine said.
"I know," I said. "But Erik's past is full of pain and hatred. Don't you see? You're the only one whose ever cared about him. He doesn't want to loose you."
"He'll never loose me," Christine said. "My heart belongs to him forever."
"I know," I said, slightly impatient now. "But you haven't seen what's under the masked side of his face yet. Just give him some time, Christine. If you rush and unexpectedly pull off his mask... he'll still love you, but not in the same way."
Chrsitine sighed. "I suppose you're right," she said. "I musn't let my girlish curiosity get the better of me."
"Good for you," I said, getting up. "Don't worry Chrisitne, he'll open up fully to you sooner or later. Anyway, I better get going. Good bye."
"Good bye," Chrisitne said. "I'm glad we had that talk."
"Oh, and by the way," I said. "You can always to talk him yourself. There's no time like the present." With that, I left Chrsitine, and went back to the trap door. I slipped in and Erik was waiting for me.
"Well?" he said.
"All is well, she understands," I said.
"Good," Erik smiled. "Now, I have some spying to do, come with me if you'd like."
"Sure," I said.
Erik helpt me through the trap door, and we ran off.